Some Things Never Change
by Missy Dawn 94
Summary: AU no ZA. Carol and Daryl were best friends from the ages of 8 until they were 18. She moves to away for college and he moves to another state to live with his older brother. Something happened that broke the bond they shared and the two haven't spoken in six years. What happens when they both move back to their home town? Can they repair that bond that they have?
1. Chapter 1

**(Just another idea I had. Not sure how far I'll go with it and things may seem very OOC because they are all going to be a lot younger here. Hope you guys enjoy. Oh, & Merry Christmas! And Carol's maiden name will be Peletier in this, because I have no idea if they ever gave her a maiden name in the story and I really don't want to make one up.)**

Twenty- four year old Carol Peletier ran a hand through her newly cut auburn hair as traveled along I-16 west. It was still a strange feeling to her, having short hair, almost spikey hair. All of her life her hair had been at least shoulder length and it was very wavy. She'd just cut it a few weeks ago.

At the time, she wanted a change. No! She'd needed a change.

Carol had recently broken up with her fiancée, whom she had been with almost two years, after he became physical with her one night. Actually, it was technically the second time he had gotten violent with her. The first time he'd come home angry and drunk and pushed her around because he said their apartment was dirty. He apologized profusely and swore he'd never do it again. She'd forgiven him and believed he'd just made a drunken mistake.

The next time he had gotten angry at her because she decided to buy herself a new car. She'd been driving the same Jeep Grand Cherokee that her parents had bought her in high school ever since she moved to Savannah for college six years ago. It was on its last leg and had left her on the side of the road several times. She'd been a RN for two years now and made good money, honestly she made a lot more money that her fiancee' Ed did. He just worked as a repo man for a furniture company and made $10.00 an hour. So, she had been saving money for a while and decided to buy herself a newer car. She'd fallen in love with a dark blue, six speed Camaro that was only two years old and had one previous owner. She could easily afford the payments on top of their rent, so treated herself and got it.

At the time she assumed Ed would have been happy for her and thought that he'd like the car, too. She couldn't have been more wrong. He'd flown off the handle saying she had no business spending that much money on a car and shouted that she was a stupid bitch. He went on to tell her that she needed to take it back because once they got married and started having kids she would need a much bigger car and that she'd need to quit her job to raise their kids anyway. That had led to a huge argument and she refused to take the car back. He'd slapped her, slapper her so hard that it made the back of her head hit the side of the wall she was standing in front of.

That scared her, it scared the hell out of her! How fast he could lose control and just transform himself into this raging monster. She realized she couldn't marry him after that. She realized it would only get worse from there. She couldn't have kids with someone like that, she'd seen firsthand what it did to people.

So that night when Ed went to sleep she called one of her best friends from high school, Lori, and told her what happened. Lori immediately told her to leave and asked her to move back home.

Home.

A place she had moved away from when she was 18 years old and rarely came back to visit.

Her parents had retired shortly after she started college and sold their house. They ended up buying an RV and hitting the road. They would come visit her in Savannah often but they didn't live in King County anymore.

Her friend Lori, her boyfriend Rick, and their friend Shane had moved to Athens to go to school at University of Georgia. Her friends Glenn and Maggie had gone to Georgia Tech. Michonne and Andrea had moved to Atlanta to attend law school at Emory.

Carol still loved and cared for her friends deeply, but things just changed after high school They each had to go on and purse what was best for their own lives and they all ended up going in different directions.

However, Rick, Lori and Shane were done with college now. Rick and Shane worked in King County as police officers after getting degrees in criminal justice. Lori had gotten a degree in business and had opened up her own little café in town. Glenn had gotten a degree in engineering and was working in town and Maggie had gone into nursing like Carol. Michonne and Andrea were fresh out of law school and trying to make their mark as lawyers in their hometown

Pretty much all of her close friends from high school had returned back to their hometown and reconnected, all except for one anyway.

Daryl hadn't.

Not that she'd heard of anyway.

He had been her best friend since she was 8 years old up until she was 18. He'd moved to Virginia the summer after they graduated to live with his brother older brother, Merle. His brother had been stationed in the military up there and once he got out he landed a good job there. Daryl didn't exactly have the grades to get into college like his friends did and he didn't wanna be stuck in their home town by himself for ever, so he decided to go live with Merle. Besides, he and his dad had a pretty bad relationship and there was no way in hell he wanted to live with the man one second longer than he had to.

Over the years Carol hadn't seen her other friends often, maybe once a year if she was lucky. But Daryl? She hadn't seen Daryl in six long years. Not since the night before he left. And to be honest, part of the reason she didn't' come home often had a lot to do with him. Memories of him and their childhood filled that town, flooding to the forefront of her mind any moment she set foot on King County soil. She couldn't look anywhere without being reminded of him the friendship they once shared. They'd been practically inseparable growing up, where one was the other was right behind.

She really missed him. Even today. She hated herself for it, but she did. She knew she always would. The bond they had, it was one of those rare things you don't come across too often in life.

Sadly, some things can break even the strongest bond.

So Carol avoided that town and she avoided the memories. But after everything with Ed, she knew she couldn't stay in Savannah anymore. She hadn't made too many close friends since moving there. Truthfully, she hadn't let herself get close to many people since she moved away from home, other than Ed anyway. She needed to be somewhere she knew people, somewhere people cared about her. So Maggie had gotten her a job at the local hospital where she worked and Carol was now making the three hour drive from Savannah to King County to go back to the only place that had really ever been her home.


	2. Chapter 2

After an extremely long three hour drive, Carol finally reached Rick and Lori's house. It was small and quaint, but it was cute. Rick had just bought it a few months back after he proposed to Lori. The two had just settled into their home and were busy planning their wedding. In all honesty, Carol felt like somewhat of a burden having to temporarily move in with them. They'd been living with Shane throughout college and after returning home two years ago, and she knew the two were excited to finally have a place on their own. She planned to start apartment hunting and find her own place after she got her first paycheck.

Lori heard a car pull in their driveway and looked out the window, watching as a blue Camaro came to a halt in their drive. "Carol's here," she called out to Rick. "Let's go help her get her stuff in."

Carol was about to knock on the door, but Lori opened it before she could. She smiled warmly at Carol and pulled her in for a hug.

"It's so good to see you. Welcome home," Lori told her.

"It feels good to be home," Carol replied with a nod.

"Hey stranger," Rick greeted as he appeared behind his soon to be wife.

Carol looked him up and down. He was in his deputy sheriff's uniform. With all the shit he and Shane pulled back in high school, she still had a hard time believing that they were both cops now. "Hello officer," She smirked.

As Lori had done, Rick moved to pull her in for a quick embrace. "We missed you. We're glad you're here."

"I missed you too."

"Nice ride, by the way." Rick pointed to her car. "Is it a V8?"

"I wish, I don't make that much money though. It's still pretty fast, though."

"I'm not gonna have to write you a ticket am I?" He teased.

"You wouldn't dare!"" She warned.

"Don't try me," he joked. "So, is it a stick?"

"What do you think?" She raised her eyebrows, as if it should be an obvious question.

"I shoulda known," Rick chuckled. "I'll never forget the summer Daryl turned sixteen and bought himself that old T-top. He took you down Smith Road and taught you how to drive a stick. Hell, I think you drove that car more than he did."

Carol's top teeth scraped across her bottom lip and she couldn't help but grimace at the memory. He loved that damn car. He'd been saving since he was 14 to buy it and he helped get it running himself. He'd bought it from Dale, Andrea's uncle, who owned a body shop in town. He let Daryl work with him some in summers. She'd asked him to teach her how to drive it and he'd taken her down that old dirt road. They'd spent hours out there trying to perfect her art of driving a stick. She'd caught on quickly and fallen in love with anything with a manual transmission. She'd sworn she'd own one of her own someday. Thinking back, it was a good memory, but it was the kind that nostalgic and start to miss him and the friendship they'd once shared.

Lori noticed how tense the mention of Daryl seemed to make her and she shot Rick a glare, chastising him for even mentioning Daryl knowing what he knew of their past.

"Sorry," Rick muttered, offering Carol and apologetic look. "Wasn't thinking about it."

"You know what? It's fine. I'm sure we're gonna end up doing a lot of reminiscing and he's going to be involved in a lot of those memories. No reason to treat me with kid gloves when it comes to him."

Rick opened his mouth to say something else, but out of the corner of his eye he saw Lori shake her head no. Deciding now wasn't the time, he simply said, "Let me help you get your things in and I'll show you to your room."

()()()

Do you have enough clothes?" Rick snorted as he sat her final suitcase down in her room. "I think I carried twenty of these in."

"A lot of them are scrubs for work," She defended. "Besides, there's other stuff in the suitcases, too." Carol held up a hand, counting off the items one finger at a time. "Pictures, trinkets, CD's, DVD's…"

"Do you want us to help you unpack?" Lori offered.

"No, it's okay. I'll get it." Her eyes scanned her new bedroom. It was a lot smaller than the master bedroom she had in her apartment in Savannah, and she wouldn't have her own bathroom here.

Rick and Lori were living in a small two bedroom, one bathroom house. The bedroom she was staying in had furniture Lori's grandparents had given them in it. An old cherry wood bed frame, a cherry wood dresser, and a vanity that matched. The room had a very antique feel to it, but she couldn't have been happier to be here and be away from the man she almost married. She was just thankful she'd found out who he really was before they did get married.

"Well, I gotta head to work. You girls have fun catching up." Rick announced as he kissed Lori goodbye. "I'll see you both later tonight."

()()()

Carol followed Lori to the kitchen where the other woman started a pot of coffee.

"So, when do you start at the hospital?" She inquired.

"Monday. I have to go fill out some paper work tomorrow and get my ID and all set up. I'm _so_ glad that Maggie was able to help me out and get me on there."

"Are you going to be doing ER like you did back in Savannah?"

"No, actually the opening they had here was in NICU."

"Have you worked that before?

She shook her head. "Not since I got out of school. I did an externship at a NICU during college, though. I loved it. I've always kind of wanted to end up there. They just had more of a need for ER nurses where I got hired and it was good money. Especially on the weekends...So, how's it feel having your own business?"

"It's a lot of work, but I love it. I never dreamed back in high school that I'd want to do anything like this. I really just went to UGA because Rick went, and if we're being honest, he just went because Shane got a football scholarship there."

Carol let out a small laugh, because she knew it was true. Rick and Shane had pretty much been attached at the hip back then. "Why business then?"

"I just took a class on it and kind of fell in love it," She shrugged. "I had to make my own business for a project and I made the one I'm running now. I could just see the place being real in my head someday. It just kind of fit."

A smile played at the edge of Carol's lips. That had always been Lori. She'd find something she liked and latch on to it. Nothing could stop her from going after her goal. She'd started dating Rick when they were 15 and decided she was going to marry him three months. Carol had to admit, things were going well for Lori so far. "It's hard to believe we're all adults with real lives and important jobs now."

"Tell me about it. We all seem to have done pretty good for ourselves so far, though."

"Most of us anyway," Carol mused as she ran her fingers along the handle on her coffee cup Lori just placed in front of her.


	3. Chapter 3

When Rick came in from his shift late Sunday night he found Carol still awake sitting on the couch reading. He walked over and slouched down beside her. "You alright?"

Her eyes peered up from her book so she could answer him. "Yeah. Lori went to bed and I couldn't sleep. Figured I'd get some reading in."

"Not exactly what I meant. You've been through a lot lately. Breaking up with your fiancee', the reason why you broke up with him."

Seeing that Rick was up for a chit chat about her life, she closed her book and set it to the side. With a small sigh she asked him, "How long have you known me, Rick?"

"Since you moved in next door to me back in third grade."

"Do I seem like I'm okay?"

He studied his her carefully. "Yeah. I just want you to know you can talk about it if you're not."

"I'm okay," she insisted. Though he cut his eyes at her like he didn't believe her. "I really am. What he did, it was wrong, but I should have expected it. He'd gotten to where he'd talk down to me, degrade me, he didn't respect me, he didn't love me. You don't treat someone you love like that. It's easier to let go of someone when you realize that."

"But you loved him, I'm sure it still hurts."

She pursed her lips together and shook her head. "I don't know Rick, I'm not sure I was really in love with him."

Rick's brows rose in surprise. "Then why'd you agree to marry him?"

"Well, when I first met him he was charming and sweet and he went after me for weeks until I agreed to go out with him. The idea of him was great and when I was with him I wasn't, well I wasn't so lonely. If I really loved him, I don't think it'd be this easy for me to come back home and start over."

Nodding in understanding, he replied, "I'm glad you left him. When Lori told me what he did I wanted to come down there and beat his ass. I've seen what happens to women who stick around. Some of them make excuse after excuse for the sorry sons of bitches that do that to them."

"You know I couldn't stay around that or have kids with a man like that. Not after everything I saw _him_ go through."

Rick leaned his head his head back until connect with the back of the couch and exhaled heavily. "You still love him, don't you?"

She cocked her head to the side. "I just told you I never really loved Ed."

"I wasn't talking about Ed."

She didn't answer him, she just turned her head to the side and looked away. And she didn't have to, he already knew the answer.

Rick didn't prod her any further, instead he patted her knee and moved to stand up. "I'm gonna go to bed. It was a long night. Have a good first day at work tomorrow and try and get some sleep."

()()()

Carol started work at the hospital the next morning. She could tell she was already going to love it there. They had a really great NICU staff and she had already really hit it off with the head nurse, Jacquie, who was a soft spoken, sweet women, that really had a way with the premies.

"Do you have kids?" Jacquie asked Carol as the two were heading out from their shift.

"Not yet. Maybe one day. What about you?

Jacquie smiled brightly. "Not yet, but maybe soon. I think I may have found the right guy."

"What's his name?"

Theodore Douglass."

"T-dog!" Carol squealed.

"You know him?" She chuckled.

"We went to high school together. He was always a great guy."

"He still is. I lucked out."

"How long have you been together?"

"Only about a year now. We met at a church outing. We both volunteered to go to the nursing home and take meals around Thanksgiving last year."

"That's sweet."

"What about you, do you have anyone special?"

Carol's voice dropped. "I was engaged back in Savannah. That didn't work out. The guy wasn't who I thought he was."

"Sorry to hear that."

"Don't be. It's for the best."

Jacquie nodded. She sensed whatever happened was serious and since she just met Carol she didn't think she needed to pry. "You hungry?"

"A little bit."

"You wanna go with me to that little café down town?"

"Sure. One of my best friends actually owns the place."

()()()

The two women sat and talked over their meal. Carol ordered a turkey wrap. She had to admit, Lori had really good food here and some of the best sweat tea she'd ever tasted.

"You ladies ready for your check?" A young blond girl asked with a smile.

"Beth?" Carol asked, amazed at how different the girl looked.

"Oh my God! Carol!" The blond woman squealed as she pulled her in for a hug.

"Look at you, all grown up." Carol said as she took the young woman in. Last time she had seen Beth, she was around 13 or 14.

"I'm 18 now. Working here while I go to the local college. Daddy would have had a fit if I moved off for school like Maggie and Shawn did." She laughed.

"I've got to come by the house and see your parents sometime. You know your sister got me on at the hospital here."

"She told me. She and Glenn were really excited that you were moving back. Anyway, I better get back to work. Stop by sometime, I'm still living out at the farm."

"I will, I promise."

"Here's your ticket. You can take it up there." She pointed to the cash register where a young, black male was standing.

"Is that Noah?" She asked in disbelief.

"That's him."

()()()

Carol was paying for her food and reminiscing with Noah about all the times she used to baby sit him. The two were laughing about the time he taped his brother to a chair when Carol heard a voice she hadn't heard in a long time call her name. A voice that sent a shiver down her spine.

"Holy shit! Carol?"

She'd have known that voice anywhere, though part of her was praying that raspy, gruff southern drawl somehow belonged to anyone else. She slowly forced herself to turn around and face him.

"Don't just stand there woman. Come give Ole Merle a hug."

She looked over to Jacquie, as if to telepathically apologize for the disturbance and the woman gave her a slight nod as if it was okay for to walk over where he was standing behind them a few places in line. She approached him cautiously. Merle was Daryl's older brother. Daryl and Merle were close, so naturally, Carol had spent a lot of time with him over the years too.

"You can move faster, I ain't gone bite." He smirked lasciviously and added, "hard."

Despite the tension his presence made her feel she couldn't help but laugh. She started at him a moment. He looked different now. He was a lot more muscular than she remembered him and he was sporting a buzz cut. But he still sounded exactly the same. She approached him and let him envelop his large arms around her.

"What are you doing here?" She asked him as they embraced.

"I could ask you the same thing."

"I just moved back. I got a job at the hospital here."

"Well, I'll be dammed." He replied with a mischievous smile.

She was about to ask him what he was doing back in town when she heard another man's familiar voice. One that made all the hairs on her body stand up and her breath catch on her chest.

"I swear, I ain't never had to piss so bad in my life." The man announced as he approached Merle with two drinks in his hand. He noticed a woman in scrubs with short hair talking to Merle and assumed he was trying to pick her up.

Carol saw the shit eating smile on Merle's face, grimaced, and sucked in a deep breath before turning around to face the man. There was no way to avoid this.

When the woman Merle had been talking too turned around to face him he immediately dropped both of the drinks he was holding.


	4. Chapter 4

Carol looked him up and down. He looked a lot different than she remembered. His arms were toned and defined and he had broad shoulders now. His hair was longer, and if she wasn't mistaken a bit darker. His formerly fresh faced appearance was now replaced with a goatee and mustache. He looked rugged, yet very handsome. He'd been a cute guy when they were younger, there was no doubt about that, but he was gorgeous now.

Once he dropped the drinks he was holding she couldn't help but let out a laugh. She watched as he hung his head down and placed a hand over his face in embarrassment. She couldn't see because his hand was in front of his face, but she'd be willing to bet all the money she had in her pocket that he was chewing his bottom lip right about now too. He still seemed awkward, or at least seeing her today made him feel that way right now.

"Daryl." She managed to get out and offer him a small nod after a few chuckles. There was a large part of her that wanted to run in the other direction or not say a word to him at all, but she couldn't. And obviously this experience was something painful for him too.

He slowly moved his hands from his face and forced himself to look up at her after he heard her laugh. He looked her over closely. She still looked the same in the face, she still sounded the same. The short hair had thrown him off when he approached her from behind. It was different, but it didn't look bad on her. He actually kind of liked it. "Hey Carol." He said softly. He kept his eyes locked on her, taking her in again. He instinctively brought his thumb up to his mouth and began to nervously chewed the side of it.

She stood there with the Dixon brothers, no one daring to say a word. Daryl's gaze still fixed on her. She met his eyes and was a bit surprised when he didn't look away.

Beth came up to the three of them with a mop and bucket and started cleaning the mess up. She looked back and forth between Carol and Daryl, not saying a word. She glanced at Merle, anticipating him to make some snide comment, but even he looked on not daring to say a word yet.

"Dixon to go." Noah called out from behind the counter while holding a bag of food up.

"I'll go grab that." Merle offered, stepping away from the duo. Beth had finished mopping about that time and stepped away with him.

Carol stood there, hoping he'd say something, anything. She felt like the silence was slowly suffocating her. He'd never been a big talker though, and it didn't look like that had changed in the last six years. "What are you doing here?" She finally asked.

"Getting dinner." He replied as he looked down and swayed his left foot back and forth.

"I don't mean here at Lori's cafe'."

He sighed heavily. "Dale wanted to retire and was gonna close his body shop. Merle and me moved back to take it over. We just got here today. What are you doing here anyway? A month ago Rick told me you were still living in Savannah."

"Yeah, well, shit happened and I decided to move back unexpectedly." She mumbled coldly as she looked off to the side. But then a realization hit her hard. "Hang on! You talked to Rick a month ago and he knew you were moving back here?"

"Yeah, Merle and I came back to take care of some family shit. I ran into him at the gas station. Got to see sheriff Grimes in uniform and all." He smirked.

She shook her head. She couldn't believe Rick and Lori knew he was moving back home and didn't tell her. She looked off to the right and noticed Lori walk through the door from where the kitchen was. Lori must have noticed her too and the fact that she was standing by Daryl, because she stood frozen in place, with her mouth wide open. Carol shot her a scowl. "Look, I gotta go Daryl. I guess I'll see you around." She said as she bolted for the door.

"Carol! Would you just wait a damn minute?" He called out to her, but she kept on walking. He started to head after her, but his brother stepped in front of him and placed a hand on his chest.

"Let her be." Merle said.

Daryl looked to his brother and then glanced around the restaurant. All eyes were fixed on him. People had obviously been watching the encounter unfold. He felt like a complete dumbass. He sighed and looked over to the right where he noticed Lori watching him and Merle closely.

"Come on, let's go home and eat. It's a small town. You'll run into her again soon."

"Go ahead, I'll catch up with you later."

"We been driving all damn day to get here. I know you're starving, little brother."

"Ain't hungry no more." He growled.

"You ain't talked to her in six years. Things ain't like they was before."

"What the hell do you know about it?"

"I know a hell of a lot more about upset women than you do. Hell, I know a hell of a lot more about women period than you do. You fucked her once six years ago and screwed up your friendship. You just gotta live with it."

"I been living with." He hissed. "I'll be home later."

()()()

Daryl walked over to where Lori was standing and leaned over the counter that was separating them. "Can we have a minute?"

Lori nodded and motioned for him to follow her in the back. She didn't think her customers needed any more of a show. "That went about as well as I thought it would when you two finally ran into each other again."

"Kind of went better than I thought it would." He admitted. "That is, until I told her Rick knew I was coming back. How come you guys didn't tell her?"

"She's dealing with a lot right now. I didn't think she needed to know yet, not the way you guys left things six years ago."

"Is she okay?" He asked, his face growing serious. "What happened?"

"She's okay." Lori assured him. "She can tell you what happened if she wants, but it's not my business to tell."

"Where's she staying?"

"Daryl, don't do this." She warned.

"Lori…"

"She knows you're here. If she wants to find you, she will."

()()()

He should have known Lori wasn't going to tell him where she was. Hell, the first time he'd talked to her in a long time had been last month. After he'd moved to Virginia he hadn't really talked to any of his old friends much. He'd occasionally run into them if he and Merle came to visit their dad, but that didn't happen too often and he didn't seek anyone out.

He decided his best bet was Rick. He'd kept in touch with him the most these last six years and last month Rick seemed happy he was moving back. He'd even taken him by to see the place he just bought. So Daryl decided to drive over and see if he was home.

He lightly knocked on the door a few times before Rick answered.

"Daryl, what are you doing here?" He asked with raised eyebrows. Rick was wearing pajamas and his hair was disheveled. He looked like he had just gotten up.

"Merle and I got in town today. We stopped at Lori's café' for something to eat, I ran into Carol."

Rick looked even more confused. He assumed Carol told him she was staying here, but he honestly didn't expect them to have a good reunion and for her to just go and invite him over. "She hasn't been home yet."

Now it was Daryl's turn to look confused. "Home?"

"She's staying with us until she finds a place... _But_ I'm guessing she didn't tell you that judging by the look on your face."

"Nah. She didn't say too much after she asked me what I was doing back here and I told her and mentioned you knew about it."

"Shit." Rick muttered and rubbed his temples.

"She wasn't too happy about it. You guys should have let her know I'd be around town."

"At the time we were just concerned with getting her back in town and away from where she was. I didn't need to give her a reason not to come home."

"I get it, I fucked up…" Daryl sighed "What the hell happened to her, man?"

"You're gonna have to ask her that."

"I would if I could find her." He growled.

"You wanna come in and wait for her? She's gotta come back eventually, all of her stuff is here."

He thought about it for a minute. It seemed like as a good a plan as any. That was, until it dawned on him. "Nah, if she ain't here I think I know where she'll be."


	5. Chapter 5

It took Daryl a while to find the place. Back when they were younger there had been a dirt road entrance straight off of the highway. It was bumpy and rough and led straight to a boat landing where people could load and unload into the river. There had been a concrete parking lot, but other than that the place was mostly surrounded by woods. He'd come here a lot as a teenager, often with Carol in tow.

Back then there usually weren't many people there at a time, and if they were they were either fishing or off on a boat somewhere down the river. Apparently, the place had grown in popularity a lot in the last six years. They'd created a whole new entrance a few miles up the road that was paved. There was now a walking track out around the river, picnic benches, and a dog park. There were a few families out there when he got there, even though it was turning dusk. Kids were off riding bikes and people were letting their dogs run around in the dog park, playing Frisbee with them.

The trail that led to their old swimming spot, which used to be very wooded and covered with kudzoo, had been replaced by a walking track, but he could still see a small path off to the side that led down by powerhouse where they'd swim at back in the day. He started walking down the path towards the powerhouse and almost busted his ass from where it had washed away so much. He mumbled a few cuss words and steadied himself. He looked up and smirked when he could see her in the large open window, dangling her legs back and forth over the edge. He slowly approached the side of the building. He wanted to be quiet, he didn't want her to see him coming, although it wasn't like she could escape right now if she wanted to. The only way to get out without running into him would be to jump, and although they'd both jumped from that window plenty of times before, the river was pretty low right now.

()()()

"Shouldn't be out here by yourself." He said as he quietly approached her and sat down beside her.

She looked over to him, unfazed and seemingly unsurprised by his presence. "I can handle myself."

He didn't answer her, he just nodded, because in truth, he knew she could. She always had been able to.

She remained quiet for a few moments and the two sat in silence staring down at the river and watching the water swish and flow over the rocks. Finally, she decided to break the silence. "It's the first time I've been here in years. They changed it a lot. It's not like it used to be."

"Most things ain't." He offered. "I liked it better before."

"Yeah, me too." Her eyes drifted from their downcast position and met his. "How'd you know where to find me?"

He looked over to the wall beside them that was littered with graffiti. He saw names of various people he knew, pot leaves, cuss words dates, hearts, arrows, and off to left top corner he saw his name with hers beside it. He remembered the day that they put them there. They should have been in class, but it was almost summer and they were juniors and he had a car and had talked her into skipping and coming out here with him. They'd gone swimming and floating that day, just the two of them. She'd been so damned sunburnt when they got done. He had no idea how her parents had figured out where she'd been all day.

The memories caused a painful stinging in his chest and all he could do was shrug. "Because, some things never change." His eyes were on her, but wouldn't meet his gaze now, they'd flitted back to the water below. "Hey look, I'm really sorry." He added softly.

That got her attention. He wasn't using his gruff voice, the one he usually talked in and reserved for most people. He used the one he'd always only really ever talked to her in. The soft, sweet one. Her blue eyes locked on his. "Well, don't tell me that. You dropped Merle's drink, not mine." There was a soft twinkle in her eyes.

He knew she was trying to lighten the mood, trying to avoid this conversation, and hell he wanted to avoid it too. He'd spent the last six years avoiding it, but that was when they were states apart and he knew that there wasn't a chance of him seeing her. He couldn't live in the same town as her and see her and know he couldn't talk to her, that she didn't wanna talk to him and that it was all his fault.

He let out a small laugh, to which she returned a smile. Well, maybe she didn't hate him after all. He'd expected her to completely run the other way when she saw him, and to be honest he thought that's what he deserved. She was being a hell of a lot more receptive to him than he expected, more receptive than he'd have been if she'd have done what he did. He was starting to become strangely opeful. "Wasn't talking bout the drinks."

"I don't wanna talk that, Daryl." She sighed. "What happened, well it happened. That was on both of us. And how you acted after? Well, talking about it isn't going to change it."

"I never meant to…"

"Stop!" She firmly warned.

"Can we talk about something else then? Tell me what you've been up to the last six years."

She shook her head. "I don't think that's a good idea…You're not who you were and neither am I."

"Carol." He reached out to touch her hand, but it caught him off guard when she flinched. He used to be the one who'd shy away from her touch, hell anyone's touch. She had always been the one to touch him or hug him or reach out to him. She'd done it so damn much he'd gotten used to it over the years and expected it. It was nothing for her to hug him or for them to wrestle around or him to carry her on his back. He didn't do that with anyone else, just her. He supposed her understood her hesitation. She wasn't comfortable with him anymore and she had every right not to be. "Sorry." He mumbled, hanging his head in shame.

"Look, we can't just pretend that we're still best friends. We can't act like nothing happened and we haven't been living completely separate lives the last six years. What do you want anyway?"

"I wanna make things right. I fucked up, I was an asshole."

"Yeah, you were." She agreed, meeting his eyes to drive home the point. She wanted him to know how mad she was, but when she saw the pain hidden behind his eyes she truly felt like he really was sorry and did regret what happened.

"I know you prolly hate me, but…"

She softened a bit and shook her head. "I couldn't ever hate you…If you wanna know the truth, I missed you."

He gnawed at his lower lip. "I missed you too. You were my best friend, the only person besides my brother who ever gave a damn about me."

"Rick and everyone else cared about you too."

"Not the way you did."

She didn't answer him and looked away again. This was getting to be too much. She'd only been home a few damn days and had just broken up with her fiancée for crying out loud. She shouldn't be up here rehashing the past with Daryl and getting upset over something she should have been over a long time ago. She probably wouldn't have come home if she knew he was going to here. Being in town with all the memories was enough, having to see him on top of it was going to be so much worse.

"Look, I know things can't be how they were before, but can we start over, with each other?"

"I don't know," She replied truthfully, but with a hint of sadness.

Defeated, he mumbled, "Alright."

She noticed he didn't get up or try to leave. He just sat beside her in utter silence. "It's getting dark. You should probably get home. Besides, didn't you go to Lori's to get food?"

"I'm not leaving until you do. I told you, you don't need to be out here alone, especially not at night." He looked up to the sky that was turning dark and saw the moon peaking out in the distance over the horizon.

"I don't need you to take care of me."

"I know you don't. You never did, but that don't change the fact that I'm here."

It was obvious he wasn't going anywhere, so she gave up trying to make him. They sat there in silence with together until the sun had completely set and millions of stars filled the sky. He was fucking starving by now and hadn't eaten anything all since about 7 a.m. when they stopped at a McDonald's. He knew she probably had to work tomorrow and needed to get home soon. "Come on." He stood up and extended his hand to her.

She narrowed her eyes on him and he halfway wondered if he was going to have to stay out here all damn night with her to prove a fucking point, but she finally surprised him and took his hand to pull herself up. It was dark as hell and despite the moon being half full, it was a lot harder to see the metal steps than it had been on the way up. He wanted to make it down first and be sure she could get down safely and be there to catch her if she slipped. "Here, I'll go down first." He offered.

"Would have been nice if you did." She smirked.

He almost lost his grip and felt his hands slip when she said that, but he caught himself with his left arm. He felt his face. "Son of a bitch." He mumbled as blood started trickling down his right arm.

"Oh my God!" Daryl! Are you okay?" She screamed, leaning over the edge to check on him.

He let go of the last step and his feet hit the concrete. "I'm fine." He grumbled. "Come on, I ain't got all night."

()()()

'Sorry I almost killed you back there."

"Figured that's what you were aiming for he joked." As he looked down at his arm, blood was still trickling from the wound, dropping red splotches on the concrete below as they walked.

"You're bleeding." She said softly as she reached out to touch his arm. This time he flinched a little, and it made him realize that maybe she was right. Starting over may not be as easy as he hoped.

"I'll be fine." He told her forcing himself to relax.

The nurse in her kicked in. "When's the last time you had a tetanus shot?"

"Probably never." He huffed.

"Come by the hospital tomorrow around lunch. We'll get you one and get you out quick."

"Said I'm fine."

"Daryl Dixon, you bring your ass to that hospital tomorrow. I mean it."

He nodded and offered a grunt and an, "Alright."

"Follow me to Rick's and I'll clean it up with betadine, unless you have some at the house."

"You don't gotta do that."

"I know I don't, but it's my fault you fell."

"It ain't…"

"You're right, some things never change, you're still as hard headed as ever." She smirked. "Well, this is my ride." She said as they approached her Camaro.

"Nice car."

"Thanks. It' a six speed."

"You always wanted one. Glad you got it."

"What are you driving these days?"

He nodded over to the parking spot under the bridge where there was a motorcycle.

"You're a biker now?"

"You know I always loved bikes. Don't you remember that dirt bike I bought from Dale's shop?"

"How could I forget? I flew over the handle bars into a mud hole behind your house when the throttle got stuck." She scowled.

"Ain't my fault you couldn't drive it right."

She playfully nudged his shoulder, but then she realized that she didn't need to be acting like this with him. She didn't want it to be this easy to just fall back into their friendship. It almost seemed like they'd never been apart and it was like she'd forgotten everything that happened. She cleared he throat and protectively wrapped her arms around herself. "Come on. Let's go get you cleaned up."


	6. Chapter 6

**(Here's the next installment. As always, thanks for reading and if you would, drop a review.)**

Carol pulled into the driveway of the house she was temporarily sharing with Rick and Lori. Daryl was right behind her on his bike. She wondered what they would say about her bringing him back home with her since the two of them had obviously decided she didn't need to know he was back to begin with. She wondered who else had known about him coming back. Did Maggie know too and decide against telling her? Oh well. She'd deal with figuring all of that out later. Right now she was feeling guilty about Daryl falling at the river after she made her little joke and she wanted to make sure his arm was okay.

Daryl hopped off of his bike and the two of them walked to the door together in silence. She turned the knob and it was unlocked so the two of them walked straight into the house. Lori and Rick were sitting on the couch when they came through door. At first it seemed like Lori was about to open her mouth to speak, that was until she saw Daryl in tow behind her. She stopped herself from whatever she was about to say and looked at the two of them with raised eyebrows, then looked to Rick, who just smirked and shook his head, until he noticed Daryl pressing a bandana against his right arm.

"What happened?" He asked,

"We were up at the powerhouse, he slipped when he was climbing down and cut his arm on one of the metal steps. I'm just gonna clean it up and then he's going home." Carol replied, heading out of the living room and towards the hallway.

Daryl followed behind her slowly, glancing back over his shoulder he shot a smug grin at Lori. He watched Carol as she entered a small bedroom on the right. He noticed all the antique furniture and how cramped everything was in there. He didn't know what her dorm or apartment in Savannah had been like, but he knew when they were growing up she'd been used to having a spacious bedroom and her own bathroom. Carol was busy digging through the vanity looking for something and his eyes scanned around the room. He noticed she'd put some pictures up. One in particular caught his eye. It was of their old group in their cap and gowns on graduation day. He had his arm draped around her shoulder and she was clinging to his side, wearing a proud grin.

"Sit down." Carol told him, motioning towards her bed.

He looked away from the picture and did as he was told taking a seat on the edge of the bed. He started to remove the bandana that was wrapped around his forearm. It already had some blood soaking through it. She came and sat down beside him with a medical supply kit in hand. She grabbed his arm and looked it over really well, then started wiping it down gently with betadine, eliciting a hiss and wince from him.

She paused to give him a break and when she did her eyes met his and she was suddenly taken back to when they were fourteen.

 _***Flashback****_

 _Carol was laying in her bed, but she couldn't fall asleep despite the fact that it was around one in the morning. Instead, she was listening to music. She heard a few taps against her window screen. At first, she ignored them thinking it was nothing more than a bug crashing into or clawing at the screen. Until she heard her name being called out. It startled her at first, but she walked up to the window and peeked through the blinds. Much to her surprise, Daryl was standing outside._

" _What are you doing?" she whispered as she raised her window._

" _Let me in!"_

" _I can't! Do you know how late it is? My dad will kill you if he catches you in my room this late at night."_

" _Please." He begged,. "I can't go back home tonight."_

 _He had a look of sheer panic and fear etched on his face and she knew it had to be something with his dad. His dad had a tendency to fly off the handle sometimes. With his mom being dead and his brother off in the military, Daryl was now the sole focus of any of his dad's anger or outbursts. She knew he wouldn't have shown up for no reason, and she couldn't just leave him outside by himself all night. She removed the screen from her window as quietly as she could. Her house was raised a good bit off the ground, so she had to help pull him inside. "What happened?"_

" _Old man came home drunk after being gone a few days. He was bitching and raising hell because I didn't wash his clothes while he was gone. He started in on me."_

 _Her face contorted, worried about exactly what that meant. She'd seen his dad leave bruises on him more than once over the years. He'd left him with black eyes before and even broken his arm once back when they were young kids. She cut her lamp on that was in the corner of her room and started looking him over. He didn't have any marks on his face this time. She was hoping nothing physical had happened and that it had just been a shouting match. "You alright?" She asked, clearly concerned._

" _I'm fine." He sighed and turned around to close her window that was still open. When he did, she noticed the blood soaking through the back of his t-shirt._

" _What happened to your back?" Her own voice become quivery._

 _He didn't answer her. He just looked down._

 _She reached out to him and went to pull his shirt up to get a good look, but he snatched back. "I'm fine." He hissed._

" _You're bleeding."_

" _It'll stop." He shrugged._

" _Daryl, let me see." She gently requested._

 _He shook his head, but she moved towards him and reached for the hem of his shirt again. He backed up as far as he could and accidently hit the wall. The pain of the open wound on his back hitting the wall sent shivers down his spine and he winced and cried out._

 _She reached up and cupped his face with one of her hands. "Please? Let me take a look. I can clean it up for you."_

 _With a shaky exhale he tentatively removed the shirt to reveal two large, bleeding gashes on his back. She gasped and he saw tears forming in the corner of her eyes. He looked away feeling embarrassed and ashamed. She gently wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. "I'm so sorry." She whispered in his ear before disappearing out of her room. He watched her walk away and could feel the blood trickling down his back. After escaping from his dad he'd ran as fast as he could to her house. It wasn't that far, maybe a five minute walk. His adrenaline had been going and he hadn't felt anything up until now, but it was really starting to hurt and sting at this point._

 _She returned a few minutes later with a bottle of betadine, a pan of water ,and some gauze. "Lay down." She told him and motioned to the bed._

" _I'll get blood everywhere."_

" _I don't care. I've got other sheets."_

 _He did as she said and laid on the bed. As tenderly as she could, she started wiping his back down with water. He'd flinch and grimaced in pain with each stroke and clutched her sheets in the palm of his hands. Once she had most of the blood wiped off and the bleeding died down some, she saw other scars scattered along his back. He had always swam with a tank top on for as long as she'd known him, but he was terribly shy and reserved. She just assumed he didn't wanna be half naked in front of anyone. She had no idea this was why._

She pressed her lips together tightly and bit back the urge to burst out in tears. " _I should wake my parents up. You should probably go to the hospital."_

" _No!" He said firmly. "If I tell someone he did this it will only make it worse."_

" _You can't stay there with him. He's really gonna hurt you one day."_

" _Where am I gonna go? Merle's in the army, my mom's dead." His voice melancholy. "I ain't got nobody else. They'll put me in some damn group home. That ain't happening."_

" _What if he kills you one day?" Unable to hold back tears by this point._

" _He won't. Ain't like he does this all the time."_

" _You don't deserve it ever…"_

 _He didn't say anything. He just buried his head in her pillow. "You can't say nothing. Not to anyone. I trust you, that's why I came here. If he does it again I'll just run like I did tonight. I'm older now, faster. I can get away."_

" _If something happens to you I won't ever forgive myself…I can't lose you."_

" _You're not going to. I've only got a few more years there and I can leave. Until then I'll just stay out of his way as much as possible."_

" _Promise me you'll come here anytime you need to. No matter what."_

" _I will. I promise."_

 _She kept the gauze pressed against his back until the bleeding finally stopped and she'd cleaned his skin with betadine. For her college pathway she'd been taking health occupation classes and she really liked them. She knew she was far from a doctor, but her knowledge from those classes was the closest thing Daryl was going to get to one. She'd told him to come by every day so she could clean and sanitize it really and that she was going to figure something out that he could do for antibiotics. She'd gone back into the kitchen and searched the medicine cabinet. She found some of her mom's Tylenol 3 she had left over from the dentist and gave one to Daryl for the pain. Then she pulled her foldable foam chair out of her closet that pulled out into a bed. She set him up with pillows and blanket and was going to let him sleep there for the night. She could close the closet door and even if someone came in the room, no one would see him unless they opened it._

" _Thanks for all this." He said as he crawled on his stomach onto his makeshift bed._

" _You're welcome." She replied as she leaned down and kissed his forehead._

 _***End of Flashback***_

"How's it look?" He asked, breaking her from the memory.

"I think it could use a stitch or two, but you'll live."

"I don't need no damn stiches."

She reached into her supply kit and pulled out a few butterfly stiches and placed them over his wound."I'm the nurse, not you." She reminded him. "These should do for now. Don't forget to go get that tetanus shot tomorrow. You don't want lockjaw."

He rolled his eyes at her. He didn't wanna go get a damn shot tomorrow, but he knew she wouldn't shut the hell up unless he did, besides, her pushing him to go so hard meant she still cared about him. "Thanks for all this."

"You're welcome. Anyway, you better go. It's late."

He nodded and stood up to leave. "Do you think..."

Before he could finish his thought she interrupted him. "Goodnight, Daryl." She stood up and moved to open her bedroom door for him.


	7. Chapter 7

**I was doing grammatical editing to this story and accidentally deleted this chapter, which totally sucks. So this a re-write and I'm hoping I remembered enough about it to make it decent and flow.**

"Where the fuck you been?" Merle barked when Daryl finally walked in the front door of their new home late that night.

"You know where the hell I been," Daryl muttered, heading straight for the fridge. He was damn starving by this point.

Merle groaned and continued with his bitch fit. "I had to unpack all this damn shit myself while you were out chasing after her."

"Stop your damn crying. I kinda had more important shit going on. You could've waited until I got back anyhow." When he opened the door of their refrigerator he became very agitated to find his food from earlier was nowhere in sight, only a half empty six pack of beer. "The fuck's my food?"

"Got hungry again after I had to do all that unpacking myself and I ate it."

"The fuck, Merle?"

"I didn't even know if your ass was coming back tonight!" He countered defensively.

"Where the hell else was I gonna sleep?" The look Merle shot him said it all. "Ah, come on!" Daryl growled. "You knew that wasn't happening. You said it yourself, things ain't like they was."

Merle just shrugged. "They ain't, but I still figured the two of you would argue like hell then go fuck each other's brains out."

Daryl rolled his eyes and stormed out of the kitchen, heading for their front door.

"Where the hell you going now?" Merle called out.

"To the damn gas station to find something to eat. I'm starved."

The butterfly stiches on Daryl's arm caught Merle's eye as Daryl turned the door knob, he leaned up from where he'd been sprawled out on their couch and cocked a brow. "The hell happened? She stab your ass?"

Daryl's eyes flicked down to his wounded arm and he shook his head. "Found Carol at the powerhouse. When we went to leave I lost my footing and slipped. Cut my arm."

That story didn't quite add up to Merle. His bother had always been pretty stealthy and he'd climbed up and down those steps a million times over the years, but he didn't question it. "Carol do that? Patch you up? He asked instead.

He nodded.

Merle couldn't hide his grin.

"What?"

Daryl didn't have a damn clue. He hadn't back then and he didn't now. "Nothing little brother. Nothing."

()()()

As much as Daryl hated hospitals and doctors, he made himself go get checked out the next day. He didn't really think the damn cut needed stiches and he damn sure didn't want a shot, but Carol had seemed so concerned about him going that it made him want to go. He knew it would make her feel better if he went. Plus, he was looking forward to the opportunity it would provide for him to get to see her again.

He was sitting in the waiting room around lunch time when he heard a familiar female voice call out, "Dixon," except it wasn't the voice he'd been expecting or hoping to hear. He stood up from his seat and walked to the door she was holding open for him. "Hey, Maggie."

She was stone faced, almost scowling at him, and she didn't offer him the normal pleasantries any other nurse would have to a random patient. "Daryl," she replied rather curtly.

Feeling the awkward tension, he tried to make small talk. "So how's Glenn?"

"Maybe you'd know if you came around every now and then or kept in touch," she spat.

That comment stung, but he deserved it, so he didn't bite back at her. As they continued to walk Daryl nervously ran a hand over the back of his neck. "Is uh, is Carol here?"

"She doesn't work in ER. She works in NICU." She replied flatly.

"Oh."

She ushered him into a chair and started her normal routine of getting his vitals. Not making any sort of small talk other than asking what happened to his arm. She didn't seem at all happy to see him. And when she went to work pulling off the butterfly stitches Carol applied to his arm last night, he could tell just how unhappy she actually was with him as she snatched them off as rough as she could.

"Ow!" He yelped, snatching his arm away from her. "What the fuck? That hurts."

"Good," She mumbled.

"Look, I get. You're pissed I ain't kept in touch with you and Glenn that good over the years. That was shitty, but you ain't gotta rip my fucking arm off because of it."

Maggie let out a low laugh, one void of all amusement. "Me being pissed at you has nothing to do with me and Glenn and you not keeping in touch with us. _Nothing."_

He shook his head, realizing exactly why she was angry. _"_ You know what? I don't get it. You and Lori and are pissed as hell at me. Carol's the one that should be acting this way, not y'all."

"Yeah, well that's because Carol loves you. Love kinda cancels the anger out. But believe me, I've got enough to go around for her."

Daryl's head fell backwards and his eyes flicked up to the white ceiling. "I fucked up, Maggie. I know I did. You don't know what I'd give to go back to that night. To change things."

Her harsh tone softened and she studied him carefully."What do you want Daryl? Do you wanna be her friend again? Is that it? Do you just wanna tell her you're sorry to clear your conscience so you go on about your life? Or are you still in love with her?" Daryl went to protest that he was ever in love with her, but Maggie cut him off. "Don't even try and deny it. I know you were."

Daryl didn't know exactly how to answer that question. He hadn't had a lot of time to think about it. He hadn't been expecting to come home to all of this, but he went with the most honest thing he could think of. "I just want her in my life again, Maggie. I can't be in the same town as her and not have that. I can't live ten minutes away from her and know she don't want nothing to do with me. I missed her like hell, and I wanna make things right."

For the first time since he'd stepped through that door Maggie offered him a genuine smile. "Then make things right."

"I wanna, but I don't know how," he admitted.

"Well, that's something you gotta figure out on your own."

"Yeah...Reckon it is."

"But Daryl," she warned. "Don't fuck things up again. If she gives you another chance, if she lets you back in her life, you better not hurt her."

"Didn't mean to the first time."

"But you did." She reminded him.

He gnawed at his bottom lip and nodded shamefully in agreement.

"She pointed to his arm and instructed him to let her start looking it over again. This time she was much more gentle with him. As she worked, she said, "You missed my wedding."

"Huh?"

She held her ring clad finger in front of him. "When Glenn and I got married, you weren't there."

"Sorry," he mumbled, shifting uncomfortably. "Didn't figure you'd want me there.

"Well, you're wrong. We did. _Carol_ did." Maggie watched as his eyes darted away from her and towards the metal sink. "You've missed out on a lot, but that doesn't mean you have to miss out on anything else."

"Sometimes not being there's easier."

"Sometimes you have to face things that aren't easy to get what you want."

"And sometimes you don't get what you what you want either way."

"Hey?" she nudged him so she'd meet he'd meet her eyes. "Sometimes you do. Sometimes you get everything you ever wanted."


	8. Chapter 8

**(For those of you who love flashbacks, there are many more to come! The story being told will leave no questions unanswered once it is finished. You will all eventually get to see what caused the rift in their friendship. This is slow moving for now, but it will eventually pick up the pace. One thing I find interesting about writing is that I sort of enjoy the build-up and the awkward moments that lead to a relationship. I'm not a patient fan of that while watching shows, but reading/writing them are somewhat more fun to me that way. Anyway, here's the next one. It's kind of a filler, but it serves a purpose.)**

Carol had just clocked out of her shift to go to lunch when one of her co-workers came up to her.

"Carol, there's some guy here asking for you." The young woman said.

"Who is it?" She asked curiously.

"He just said he's an old friend. He's got blue eyes, brown hair, a goatee and a hospital band around his arm. He's pretty cute." She chuckled. "Do you want me to tell him you're still here or that you already left for lunch?"

She contemplated it for a second. She was leaning towards telling him she was already gone, but with her luck she'd bump into him once she left anyway. "Tell him I'll be right out."

()()()

"Hey." He said nervously as she walked up to him and offered her a small smile.

"What's all this?" She asked noticing the bag he held in his hand and two cups of iced coffee.

"I asked Maggie when your lunch shift was after she took care of my arm. There was a Starbucks across the street and I know how much you used to love it."

"So you got me two coffees?" She asked with raised eyebrows and a sly smile.

"One's for me, smartass." He smirked. "Is there somewhere we can sit down and eat?"

As much as she wanted to say no, she couldn't with him sitting there in front of her smiling like that. She'd always loved his smile and it wasn't something he did all the time. He usually wore a serious, sullen look. "Follow me." She said and noticed that his smile grew even wider. "Don't feel special, it's only because you brought Starbucks.

She led him to a set of metal benches outside the hospital. It was in a nice shady area and that was a good thing, because despite the fact that it was fall, temperatures were still in the 90's in Georgia. He handed her the coffee and she looked it over. He'd brought her favorite and she was slightly touched that he still remembered.

"Iced Caramel Macchiato is still my favorite." She said taking a sip. "Thank you."

"Yeah, no problem." He said as he slid his fingers up and down his cup. "Mine's still…"

"Iced white mocha." She finished for him. "With an extra shot of espresso and no whip."

He took a sip of his drink and nodded then reached into the bag for their food. "I got us food from somewhere else. None of that shit at Starbucks looked worth a damn. It's just subs, but I figured it'd be better than the cafeteria food here." He'd gotten a philly cheesesteak for himself loaded with extra jalapenos and a turkey melt for her.

"The food wasn't so bad yesterday, but I have to admit, this is better."

"There's a place near where I lived in Virginia called Jersey Mike's, ten times better than this."

"We had one in Savannah too. It wasn't too far from my apartment. I'd go there a lot, it was really good." "So, did Maggie get you all taken care of?"

"Yeah, they gave me the tetanus shot and she made the doctor come check it over. He told me to just keep using butterfly stitches and not to get it wet and wrote me a prescription for antibiotics." He turned his arm over so she could see the fresh set of butterfly stitches that had been applied.

"See, it wasn't so bad."

"Easy for you to say. Maggie ripped the old ones off. It hurt like a bitch." He said with a scowl.

The two of them sat and made small talk while they finished their sandwiches. Nothing important, just about her working in the NICU now instead of the ER and all the plans him and Merle had for their shop. He told her that they were getting things set up this week and it would officially open next Monday.

"I gotta go, my shift is about to start back up, but thank you for lunch and the coffee. You really didn't have to."

"Like I said, it was nothing."

"I guess I'll see you around." She said. "Goodbye Daryl."

"Why don't you come by the shop sometime on your lunch break this week?" "It'd give you a chance to catch up with Merle and see what all we're doing to the place."

"I don't know…"

"I'll buy you coffee and lunch again." The look in his eyes and the way he said it made him look like a kid begging for an expensive toy for their birthday.

"I'll think about it."

()()()

"I see your "old friend" came by for a visit today. Jacquie said with a smirk as she used her fingers to imitate quotation marks when she said the word friend.

"He fell last night and cut his arm. He had to come to the hospital today to get a tetanus shot and get it checked out. He just stopped by because he was already here." She replied dismissively.

"Mhm. I'm sure." She laughed. "At least it looks like you two made up from whatever happened to make him drop those drinks when he saw you and you run out of that café."

"We didn't make up. I'm just being civil. This is a small town. I'm going to run into him whether I like it or not."

"You looked pretty friendly eating lunch together."

"He brought me food. I was being polite."

"Whatever you say, sweetie." Jacquie told her and patted her on the shoulder. "I've been wondering, is his name Daryl by chance?"

Carol froze in place. "How'd you know his name?"

"I mentioned to T-dog what happened at the café. He said he'd bet all the money in his wallet that the guy you ran into was Daryl Dixon."

"Did he say anything else?"

"No. Just that the two of you were best friends growing up and as far as he knew the two of you hadn't seen each other since the night before he left for Virginia at Maggie Rhee's party.

()()()

When Carol headed to the parking lot that night she saw Maggie headed for her car. She jogged over to catch up to her.

"Hey, I wanted to say thanks for getting Daryl in and out pretty quick today."

"No problem, but at the rate you keep asking me for favors, you're going to owe me big time." Her friend said with a grin.

"You name it and you got it. I really do owe you for everything."

"It's what friends are for." Right?" To help each other."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Did Daryl bring you lunch?" Maggie decided to ask.

"He did. He said you told him what time I'm supposed to eat."

"I did. I hope it was okay."

"It was fine. He knows where I'm staying, if he didn't come by at lunch he'd have just stopped at Rick's later on if he wanted to see me."

Maggie nodded. "You missed him a lot, didn't you?"

"Maggie…"

"I think he missed you too and that he feels really bad. I know that doesn't excuse what he did or change things, but it has to count for something."

"It does count for something, I'm just not sure what."

"You said you owe me, right?"

"You're gonna use that to ask me to be friends with Daryl again?" She said confused and almost annoyed. "Last night I had to beg you to work him in today."

"I didn't even say what I wanted yet and you're assuming it has to do with him." She said with a look.

"I only assumed that because we were talking about him." She corrected her. "What is it then?"

"I want to have a get together at the house this weekend. Michonne and Andrea are off and so are Rick and Shane. Lori closes after lunch Saturdays and isn't open on Sunday, Glenn's not working and neither are we. It's been years since we've all gotten together and it can also be a welcome home party."

Carol cut her eyes at Maggie and looked at her suspiciously. "What are you up to?"

"Nothing." She said innocently. "I just want things to be like old times for a night." "So, will you come?"

"Why not. I don't have anything else to do."


	9. Chapter 9

**(The big reveal of what happened is coming very, very soon. I'm just debating on fitting it into a chapter or making on completely for it. I'm undecided on that yet. Here's another chapter, because writing came easy tonight. Oh, and if you read my other story, I just want you to know I'm not done or haven't given up. It's just harder to write now. I'm working on it though.)**

Carol had contemplated whether or not she wanted to drop by Merle and Daryl's shop for the next couple of days. She was trying so hard to be guarded with him and keep him at a distance, but he had made it hard by seeking her out. She had decided against going, and halfway assumed that he'd show up at her work again or either at her place if she didn't. It was silly and she felt like a teenager playing hard to get, but she felt like she needed to see him put work in to rebuild their friendship. Although, she also knew Daryl wasn't the type of person to beg for anything and apologies hadn't been his thing either, so part of her felt like she should be satisfied with the effort he'd put in so far. She hadn't heard from him by Friday and decided to take him up on his offer to see the shop. She was truthfully starting to worry she'd made him think she didn't wanna see him.

"You looking for my brother?" Merle asked as saw her enter the open garage door of their shop. He was tinkering with the air compressor when she walked in.

"He told me I should stop by and see the place. I had some time to kill on my lunch break and figured I'd drop by." She said nonchalantly.

"You like what you see so far?" He asked with a devilish grin.

It wasn't lost on her that he was talking about himself. There wasn't much in the garage room they were in. Just a car lift and the air compressor, some tool boxes, along with some car posters with half naked women plastered on the walls. Merle was only wearing a tank top that showed off his well-defined chest and arms and some basketball shorts. "Can't say that I've seen anything that caught my eye yet." She joked back.

He scoffed. "That must be why you cut your hair so short. You're one of them lesbians now ain't ya?"

"You're still such an ass." She said with a laugh.

"You love me for it."

"Correction, I love you despite it."

He got up and threw an arm around her. "I missed you kid, you know that?"

"As much as I hate to admit it, I missed you too. Even if you weren't around half the time."

"Yeah, I was always in some shit. "He sighed." It's a wonder I ain't dead or in jail."

"You really straightened up after you joined the army. I'm proud of you."

"Best damn decision I ever made."

"I think it's really great you and Daryl get to come back and take over Dale's shop. I know this place meant a lot to him and he wouldn't just pass it off to anyone."

"The man gave me my first job here when I was fourteen, Daryl too. He taught us a lot and treated us like family. Hell, he's the one who pushed me to go to the army. We're gonna do right by him and make sure this place stays going strong."

"I have no doubt about that." She said confidently. "Is your brother around?" She asked as she scanned her eyes across the room in search of him.

"He went to get some new paint guns. It could be a while. He had to drive about twenty minutes out to get the kind we need. You just missed him."

"Oh." She said flatly.

"You can hang around a while if you want. He may get back before you have to leave. Besides, I know a way we can kill time." He said wiggling his eyebrows.

"Tempting, but I think I'll pass."

"Your loss."

"I'm sure it is." She said sarcastically. "Can you do me a favor?"

"It'd be my pleasure." He said huskily.

She rolled her eyes and walked to outside to her car and returned with a small bag. "Give this to Daryl when he gets back."

"What is it?" He asked looked at the bag

"A burger from Lori's. Don't eat it like you did his food the other night."

"I'm hungry too." "I don't get nothing?" He groaned, sounding somewhat offended.

"There's a BLT in there. It was mine, but you can have it. I'll just grab something when I get back to work."

"'Thanks." He mumbled. "Hey, why don't you stop by the house sometime?" "We got a pretty cool place."

"Where are you staying?"

"It's about a mile from the river, back in the woods. Kind of close to the new duplexes. It' in front of a creek and there's plenty of land to hunt on. It's kind of like a treehouse. It's raised off the ground a good bit for when the creek floods."

She shook her head. "It sounds like the perfect place for the two of you."

"Stop by sometime. You ain't gotta be a stranger."

"I'm trying not to be."

()()()

"Daryl got back to the shop around two that afternoon.

"You had a visitor while you were gone." Merle smirked.

"Carol stopped by?" He asked hopefully

"Yep."

"Damn." He replied with clear disappointment in his voice. "I didn't think she was gonna come."

"She brought you something. It's in the fridge."

He had a curious look on his face and headed towards the fridge. He saw a white paper bag and pulled out the contents. It was a burger with a in the bottom of the bag he found a note that read: " _It has bacon and extra cheese, just like you always liked. Just wanted to return the favor for lunch the other day."_ He smiled to himself and took a bite before walking back to where Merle was. "Are you still going with me to Glenn and Maggie's Saturday?"

"I guess so. They're your friends, not mine. I don't see why you wanna drag me along."

"What better do you have to do?" "Besides, all your old friends are in jail. You might as well make some new ones."

"Yeah, yeah." He grumbled.

"There's free beer and Andrea and Michonne gonna be there and they're both single. Stop complaining."

"Carol's single too." He pointed out.

"If you even try anything…" He growled as he inched himself closer to his older brother

"Calm your tits. I ain't gonna play in the same pond you fished in. That don't mean no one else will, though."

()()()

It was Saturday now, and Carol was in her room prepping to get ready to go to Glenn and Maggie's. She was pretty excited about it, especially since she hadn't gotten to see Michonne and Andrea since she got back. They'd actually been out of town all week working on a case.

"Wow!" Lori said as Carol stepped out of her room and into the living room.

"What?" She asked, suddenly feeling self-conscious and she began to look herself over.

"Nothing bad, you just look gorgeous tonight." Lori said as she looked her friend over. She'd taken the time to really do her make-up tonight. During the week she didn't bother with too much of it since she was always moving and getting sweaty at work. Back when they were younger she'd been somewhat of a tomboy and hadn't been into much make-up. There were very few times Lori had seen her friend this dolled up. Carol was also donning a black lacey dress that was cut in all the right places and a pair of cowboy boots.

"Oh. Thanks." She said, blushing.

"You ladies ready to go?" Rick asked as he walked in the room straightening the collar of his button down shirt. "Woah!" He said suddenly when he looked up and saw Carol."

She saw Rick looking at her wide eyed and suddenly started to feel even more self-conscious. "You guys, stop it. You're making me wanna go change." She said

"No, don't. You look really nice." Rick said. "I'm not used to seeing you dressed up like this, it looks good on you."

"I know. I was always playing around with Daryl when I was younger and chose comfortable clothes I could move around in or get dirty in. I started dressing more girly when I went off to college in Savannah, but when I started dating Ed he didn't like me to dress up. He didn't want anyone else looking at me." She said and looked away. "Gosh, I was so stupid. I don't know how I didn't see all of those warning signs."

"You weren't stupid, he only let you see what he wanted you to see for a while." Lori said, as she placed a comforting hand on Carol's shoulder. "Now come on, let's forget about that asshole and go have a good time with our friends."

()()()

When they arrived at Glenn and Maggie's the two of them had immediately pulled her into a hug and complimented her on her appearance as well. She walked into their kitchen and saw Michonne and Andrea. The other two women squealed when they saw her and run up to her for hugs.

"I've missed you so much." Andrea said as the two pulled apart.

"I missed you too, both of you. "She said smiling." Look at the two of you now, big shot lawyers and all."

"Girl please, we're busting our asses trying to get our names out there. No one takes us seriously yet." Michonne said.

"They will." Carol replied.

"We hope so." Andrea added. "So, who are you all dressed up for? She asked with a wink

Carol was about to say no one, when the three of them heard a door open and an unmistakable voice speak.

"Where's all this damn beer I was promised?" Merle Dixon shouted

They three women looked around the corner and saw Merle enter the house, with Daryl in tow behind him. Daryl had his hands in his pockets and was being greeted by Glenn who was extending his arms for an embrace. Carol watched as Daryl threw an arm around his old friend. She turned around and saw Michonne and Andrea sharing a look.

"I guess that explains it." Andrea said with a knowing grin.

Michonne looked at Andrea and nodded.

"No, no, no." She said shaking her head. "That's not what this is. I didn't even know he was coming."

"Sure you didn't." Andrea said as she peaked around the corner again. She looked over at Merle and looked him up and down. "Merle got pretty hot." She noted as she slid her eyes over him again.

"Seriously?" Michonne asked. "You're such a ho." She joked.

"What I heard he was packing. I had a class with a senior when we were freshman who used to tell stories about Merle Dixon. I always wanted to give him a try." "Hey Carol, did Daryl have a big…"

"Andrea!" She snapped.

"I just thought it might run in the family. I'm trying to weigh my options here. Shane's going to be here too soon and I already know what he's working with. I'm trying to decide if I want to try something new."

"Michonne's right, you're such a whore." She laughed.

"I like to think I'm just liberated." Andrea replied in her own defense.

Carol overheard Glenn telling Daryl he was going to show him where the kitchen was so he could put the beer up that he brought. She suddenly felt panicked at the thought of him seeing her like this.

When he stepped in the kitchen he saw her and his eyes got wide and he felt his heart rate go up. He gripped the case of beer super tight so he wouldn't drop them and make himself look like a dumbass. He saw her fix her eyes on him and look nervous. He slid his eyes up and down her. The dress was short and showed off her legs and it was cut in the front where he had a good view of her cleavage. She had her make-up done to a T and it really made her eyes stand out. "Holy shit." He slipped up and said out loud.

Glenn, Michonne and Andrea let out a laugh. While Carol stood there looking uncomfortable, shifted her body against the counter and folded her hands over her chest to cover herself some.

"No, I didn't mean that in a bad way." He said quickly, thinking he'd upset her. "You just look really good tonight." He saw her bite at her bottom lip. "Not that you don't always look good." He stammered trying to correct himself then added "Not that I'm checking you out or anything…" thinking he'd upset her even more.

Glenn walked up to him and took the beer from him, because he was fully anticipating Daryl either dropping it or dropping dead from embarrassment any minute now.

When he felt the beer leave his hands he instinctively pulled his left hand up and covered his face.

"Why don't we go say hey to Merle?" Michonne suggested as she stepped out of the kitchen. "I think these two need a minute."

Glenn and Andrea quickly followed behind her.


	10. Chapter 10

**(Here's the next chapter. I hope you all enjoy!)**

The two of them stood in Glenn and Maggie's kitchen in an awkward silence. Daryl had removed his hand from his face, but was too embarrassed to actually look at her at this point and kept his eyes downcast on the floor. Carol was still tensely leaning against the counter with her arms folded over her chest. She'd known from the moment he muttered holy shit that he didn't mean anything bad by it. She could tell by the way his gaze swept up and down her that he was checking her out and he liked what he saw. The fact of the matter was, it scared her to know he was looking at her like that, because despite what happened back then, she still had feelings for him today. She didn't want to admit it, but they were there. Not to mention the fact that she thought he was freaking gorgeous. She knew she was going to end up in trouble if he had the nerve to try anything. However, unless he'd drastically changed his approach towards women in the last six years, and judging by the way he made himself look like a stammering idiot a few minutes ago, she doubted he had. She probably didn't have to worry about him making the first move and she wasn't going to make a move.

She removed her arms from her chest and pushed away from the counter. "I think I'm gonna get a drink." "Do you want one?" She asked

His blue eyes darted up from the floor and met hers. "I could use one." He replied with a nod.

She knew Maggie had a bottle of wine ready out in the living room that she and Lori had already started on and she knew Glenn had put the beer Daryl brought in the fridge, but she was in the mood for something stronger. She pulled the freezer open and found just what she was looking for, a full bottle of grey goose. She carefully pulled the plastic back from around the top and pulled the cap off. Since she had no idea where Maggie and Glenn kept their shot glasses or cups, she simply turned the bottle up. It had been a long time since she had drank liquor straight, and she was instantly reminded of this by the way it burned her throat going down. She grimaced and let out a deep exhale when she sat the bottle down. "Here." She said holding the bottle out towards him.

He had been watching her curiously the entire time and was staring at her with wide eyes. "I was thinking more along the lines of a beer, but what the hell." He said taking the bottle from her and getting his own swig.

She put the bottle up and the two of them made their way into the living room to join everyone else. Glenn was seated in a recliner sipping a beer with Maggie in his lap sipping on some wine. Rick, beer in hand, and Lori, who was also sipping on wine, were on the love seat. Andrea, Merle and Michonne were all sitting on the couch. Carol couldn't help but notice Merle was sitting as close to Andrea as possible. Carol went and joined Rick and Lori on the love seat, while Daryl moved to the couch. Merle made a few cat calls and jokes at her about the dress she was wearing, but quickly turned his attention back to Andrea, because he knew that she was his best bet at getting laid tonight. Everyone sat around talking and drinking. Eventually, Carol asked Maggie where her cups were and told her she wanted to go make herself a drink. She excused herself to the kitchen and Daryl got up and followed behind her.

"You sure you wanna be drinking all that liquor?" "Everyone else is drinking beer or wine." He said, as he walked up behind her.

She turned around quickly at the sound of his voice. "I can handle myself." She replied as she poured some vodka into a red solo cup and mixed some cranberry juice with it. "It's not your job to look after me anymore."

He looked at her, noticing the slightest trace of resentment in her eyes and decided against trying to argue or reason with her about it. "Pour me one too, then."

"You sure you need to be drinking all that liquor?" She mocked him

"Lady, do you have any idea how much I can drink?" "I've been living with Merle the last six years."

She let out a laugh and poured him a cup too, adding slightly more liquor to his than she had hers.

"Thanks." He said grabbing the cup and taking a sip. "I'm gonna go grab a cigarette if anyone asks where I'm at."

"Can I join you?"

He looked at her questioningly. "You don't smoke." He scoffed. "Do you?" He finally added realizing that she very well could now and he'd have no idea about it.

"No. I don't."

"Good. You shouldn't. It's bad for you." He said with a grin as he walked towards the door at the end of the kitchen that lead to a screened in back porch. "You still wanna come with me?" He called out.

"Yeah." She replied and followed behind him.

The two of them sat in rocking chairs on the back porch in silence looking out into Glenn and Maggie's impressive back yard. The grass and shrubs were trimmed perfectly. Truthfully, the whole house was impressive. It was a newer place out in a nice neighborhood. It had three bedrooms and a loft, which Glenn used as his man cave/gaming room. The living room was spacious, as were the dining room and kitchen. Financially, Glenn and Maggie were probably the most stable of the group. She'd been a nurse for two years and he was a chemical engineer at a battery plant in town. Together they easily brought in more than 100 grand a year.

When he finished his cigarette the two of them made their way back into the kitchen and were surprised to see Shane standing in there with Rick putting away some beer of his own.

"Well look at you girl." He said looking at Carol. "You're straight rocking that dress tonight. Go on with your fine self." He said with a sly grin. "You gonna stand there or you gonna come give me a hug?"

She blushed a little bit and walked up to him wrapped her arms around him. "Thanks for the compliment, officer." She said with a laugh. Shane was a flirt, he always had been. Back in high school he had been notorious for sleeping around and had even gotten with their P.E. teacher.

Shane pulled her in closer and let his arm rest over the small of her back. He looked up and let his eyes meet Daryl, who was scowling at him. Shane flashed a cocky smile at him. He eventually pulled apart from Carol and walked up to Daryl. "What's going on Dixon?" He said extending his hand. "It's been a long time."

Daryl shook his hand, but had a sullen look on his face. "It's been a while." He agreed.

"I tell you what," Shane said shaking his head," I damn sure wasn't expecting to see the two of you anywhere near each other tonight."

Carol downed the rest of her drink and went to make another one.

()()()

Everyone made their way back into the living room and sat round talking and catching up for a while. Carol found herself on her third drink of the night and she was starting to feel it a little. Her lips felt fuzzy and her chest felt warm. After a while the conversation lulled for a bit and Maggie suggested that they play a drinking game. Her suggestion immediately took Carol back to the party at Maggie's house six years ago.

 _***Flashback***_

" _Let's play a drinking game." Shane suggested._

" _What about circle of death?" Maggie said_

" _Or we could play more beer pong?" Rick added._

" _Nah, I'm thinking of something a little different. Something that will make things a little more interesting." Shane said smiling_

" _Like what?" Glenn asked._

" _It's called truth, dare or drink. How you play is, someone will say truth or dare and you pick one. If you don't wanna do the dare or answer the truth, then you drink."_

 _Everyone looked around the room at each other and nodded in agreement. This could definitely make the night interesting._

 _Merle, who had driven down for the weekend and was taking Daryl back to Virgnia with him chimed in with a laugh. "I think I'm gonna like this idea." He was 21 and had supplied all of the alcohol for this little party Maggie decided to throw while her parents and little sister were out of town visiting her step-brother._

 _They started playing the game and things were going well so far. Maggie and Glenn admitted to doing it in her dad's hay loft, Shane admitted to banging the P.E. teacher, Ms. Kelly, Andrea had taken a body shot off of Michonne, Merle had to run around the farm wearing only of Maggie's thongs, Glenn had to lick syrup off of Rick's nipple, and Daryl had taken several shots. The shots were taken instead of admitting to whether or not he was a virgin, going against a dare of doing a strip tease, and dodging a question of if he had ever had a crush on anyone in the group. Add those shots to the all of the beer he had from their earlier game of beer pong, and it was safe to say he was feeling no pain at this point._

" _So, it's my turn right?" Merle growled_

" _Yes, Merle. It's your turn." Carol said._

" _Well, since my baby brother just dared me to run around the damn barn in a thong and I can't dare him back since he just dared me, I'm going for the next best thing. "Carol, truth or dare."_

" _Dare." She said boldly, despite knowing that Merle was probably out for blood from what he just had to do._

" _Just what I was hoping for." He said lowly as he rubbed his hands together. He let his eyes lock on his little brother and then moved them back to Carol. "I dare you to kiss Daryl."_

 _She froze in place and she felt all of their friends grow quiet. All eyes were on her, including Daryl's. His eyes were wide and saw him nervously shift. He wasn't good with physical contact in front of other people, and the two of them had never kissed before. In all honesty, she wasn't sure he'd ever kissed anyone before. She certainly didn't know about it if he had and aside from herself, she didn't know that he'd ever actually been alone with another girl._

" _What, are you gonna pussy out and take a shot instead?" Merle mocked._

 _She gave Daryl a look, searching his eyes wanting to know if it was okay. There had been times over the last few years where she actually thought they were going to end up kissing. They'd be wrestling around and he'd end up on top of her. Things would grow silent and still and he'd give her this look, but he'd always back away. One time he'd even been giving her a back run and she looked up at him and smiled. He looked down at her and swallowed hard, before taking his hands off of her and saying he had to go. She liked him and had wanted to kiss him, but she didn't wanna push him away or upset him, so she'd never make the first move. He was kind of like a wild animal, the slightest sudden moves would send him running. She wouldn't risk their friendship on something physical. She'd decided she rather have him in her life as a friend than not at all. Besides, maybe she'd been reading it wrong. Maybe he'd never actually wanted to kiss her anyway._

" _We ain't got all damn night." Merle yelled. "I'll just dare Daryl to do it next time I get a chance if you don't, even though we know he'll be too much of a pussy to do it too."_

 _Daryl's eyes met hers and he gave her a nod letting her know he was okay with it. She took the initiative and started making her way towards him slowly. She stood in front of him, searching for any sign that he didn't want to, but he didn't give her one. She moved towards him and pressed her lips to his. At first he was tense and rigid and it didn't seem like he knew what to do, but after a few minutes he seemed to get the hang of it. It was slow at first, but she deepened the kiss and before she knew it the two of them were full on making out. At first she forgot about everyone else in the room, she wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her in close to him. Her heart was pounding and her breathing quickened she was getting lost in him and what they were doing. Then reality set back in when the whistles and screams from their friends caught her attention and she was reminded that they were in a room full of people. Daryl must have just realized they were there too and slowly pulled himself away from her. His eyes met hers, and she felt a little weak in her knees._

" _Damn, baby brother. I guess we're related after all." Merle said as he slapped him on the back._


	11. Chapter 11

**(This is going to be a little longer than normal in order to fit everything I wanted to get in it. I didn't want to break it up into two separate chapters though. It's also gonna be very OOC, because I have no idea what these characters would be like drunk.)**

"That table over there looks like it's the perfect size for beer pong." Merle pointed out as he motioned to the table in the dining room that could easily seat six people.

"I'm down for some beer pong." Shane agreed. "I call Rick as my partner. We were unstoppable back in the day."

"Daryl and I will stomp your asses." Merle countered.

Andrea looked over towards Merle and walked up to him. She ran her hand down his chest as she told him. "I wanna be on your team, Merle."

"I mean Andrea and I will stomp your asses." Merle corrected. "Sorry, little brother." He said with a shrug as he locked eyes with Daryl.

Daryl scoffed and shook his head. Merle would do anything to get a piece of ass. "You wanna be on my team?" He looked over at Carol. "You wanna be on my team?" He repeated. She didn't answer him. "Carol, hey Carol!" He called out and gently tapped her arm.

"Huh?" She asked as she was suddenly snapped out of her thoughts.

"Damn, are you that drunk already?" "I was asking if you wanted to be on my team for beer pong."

"I'm not drunk." She replied with a smirk. "And sure, it'll be like old times."

The official teams for beer pong ended up being Shane and Rick, Merle and Andrea, Glenn and Maggie, Lori and Michonne and Carol and Daryl. Lori and Michonne were the first to be out of the game, thanks to Lori's horrible aim. Glenn and Maggie were out next, followed by Merle and Andrea. Both teams were down to one cup and Andrea missed her shot at getting Shane out. It was Rick's shot next and he ended up landing it to get Merle out.

"Damnit woman, I shoulda just teamed with my brother." Merle bitched

"You want me to make it up to you later?" She asked with a wink.

"Yes ma'am." He replied lowly as he licked his bottom lip.

The final round ended up as Daryl and Carol against Rick and Shane. It was another close game, just as the one against Merle and Andrea had been. Carol was on drink number five at this point, so she was buzzing pretty good now. The buzz she had didn't seem to affect her game, though. If anything it made her a little bit better. Both teams were down to their last cup now and it was Daryl's shot. Shane was at the other end of the table.

"Come on Dixon, you know you can't land that shot. From what I hear, you've always had trouble finding the hole." Shane taunted.

"From what I hear, you don't know what to do with it once you find it." He snapped back. "That's why my brother's gonna stick it to Andrea tonight and not you." Daryl said as he tossed the ping pong ball and it landed in the last cup on the table. "He narrowed his eyes at Shane and offered an arrogant smile. He knew Shane and Andrea used to fool around a lot back in high school. The two had never been anything serious, hell they never even officially dated and both slept around with other people, but he assumed seeing her be all over Merle tonight and not paying Shane a bit of attention had to be bothering him. The guy had an ego from hell, and seeing his old play thing being picked up by someone else had to be eating him alive.

As soon as Daryl had rang the shot Carol had been so happy that they had won, and so buzzed that she didn't truly realize what she was doing, that she slung her arms around Daryl's neck and pulled him in a for a hug. "We won." She squealed, and as went to release her arms from his neck she stopped and looked him in the eyes and flashed a huge smile.

"Yeah, we did." He said taking a deep breath. By this point, he had quite a few too and he was definitely feeling it. He wasn't on her level though, so when she hugged him he was still hyper aware of how out of place this hug was for them now. The feeling of her arms wrapped around his neck like that and the way she looked at him smiling like that had his head reeling. He'd missed that so much. Her smile, her touch, seeing her feel so happy and care free around him. He hated she had to be drunk to be that way with him right now. He watched her as she let go of him and walked off to talk to Maggie, Lori and Michonne to brag about their win. He was still looking over at her and watching her smile and laugh when Shane walked up to him.

"You know, it's funny." Shane said.

"What is?" Daryl said cocking his eyebrows.

"Merle might be fucking Andrea tonight, and maybe it should bother me, but it don't. I can't count the times I've been with her, in fact I'm kinda bored with it by now. Nah, I think I'll try something new tonight." Shane said smugly as he looked over at Carol and then back to Daryl.

Daryl moved closer to Shane where no one else could hear them and locked eyes with him. "Man, she's drunk. You ain't trying nothing when she's like this."

"Oh, so it's okay for you to take advantage of her when she's drunk, but I can't?"

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about." Daryl snapped and gave him a hard shove.

Shane was about to buck back up at him, when Rick jumped between them. Everyone in the room stopped talking and moved their eyes on them. Merle was in another room with Andrea and heard the commotion and made his way to the dining room to see what was going on.

"What the hell is all this?" Merle demanded when he saw Rick standing between a very pissed off looking Daryl and Shane.

"It's nothing." Daryl snapped.

"We just had a little disagreement over the game, that's all." Shane replied.

"It's just a fucking game." Merle hissed. "Stop acting like a bunch of damn high schoolers."

()()()

The night went on and the majority of the group were still talking and drinking. However Daryl had stopped drinking after the incident with Shane. He decided he needed to stay sober enough to keep an eye on him and make sure he didn't try anything with Carol. He didn't know if he really would, or if Shane was just trying to get back at him for the comment he made about Merle and Andrea, but he wasn't taking any chances.

Maggie and Glenn were sitting together and Carol flung herself into the chair with them and wrapped her arms around them both. "You know?" "I'm really happy to be home. I missed you two a lot." She said as she wrapped her arms around them both.

"We missed you too." Glenn managed to get out between laughs.

"I remember we used to go riding horses at your dad's house all the time." She said to Maggie. "Can we go riding horses sometime?"

"Of course we can." Maggie replied as she choked back the urge to laugh at her friend.

Carol got up off of the two of them and made her way over to Lori and Rick. As she was walking over towards them she was swaying a bit. She crashed into Lori and started laughing hysterically. "You're such a good friend. You and Rick both. You guys are letting me stay with you and even though you lied to me about Daryl coming home, I'm not mad anymore. I know it's only because you love me and I really, really love you guys too."

"We love you too, but I don't think you need anything else to drink tonight." Lori said slightly concerned.

"How many have you had?" Rick asked

"Why, are you gonna arrest me officer?"

Michonne and Shane were sitting on the couch and Michonne was cracking up at the sight of Carol. She'd never seen her so drunk before, hell she hadn't seen anyone this drunk since her freshman year of college.

"Michonnnnne!" "I missed you too!" Carol screamed and jumped into her lap. "I can't believe you're a lawyer now. If I hadn't of been smart enough to move back I'd probably be calling you in a few years." She mumbled.

When Daryl heard that his head popped up and he couldn't help but wonder what the hell she was talking about. He watched as she crawled out of Michonne's lap and scooted next to Shane. He clenched his hands together, praying to God that she didn't do anything to encourage him to make a move, because he didn't give a shit whether or not Shane was a cop now, he'd beat the mother fucker's ass.

"I can't even believe you're a cop now." She said breaking out into hysterical laughter again. "You stole our principal's car back in high school. You stole his car!"

"I sure did." He said with a laugh.

She got up off the couch where Michonne and Shane were sitting and made her way towards Daryl who was sitting by himself on the floor. She plopped herself in his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. She rested her head on his chest. "I missed you the most." She said barely above a whisper. I shouldn't, but I do. I haven't had a chance to say it yet, but I'm glad your back."

He swallowed hard and bit his bottom lip, because he doubted she'd even remember saying any of this in the morning, but it was exactly what he wanted to hear and having her in his lap pressed up against him like felt good. In fact, it felt a little too good. Especially with the dress she was wearing tonight. He shifted a bit, so her ass wouldn't directly be pressed up against his crotch. "I missed you too." He whispered in her ear so no one else could hear "And I missed this." When he looked down at her he was almost sure she drifted off to sleep. He was going to ask Glenn and Maggie if he could put her in one of their guest bedrooms, but before he could she popped her head up.

"Where are Merle and Andrea?" I wanna tell them I missed them too!"

I think they're a little busy. Glenn chuckled.

"Oh, okay." She said as she placed her head back on Daryl's chest.

"You got a place I can put her to sleep at?" Daryl said looking to Glenn and Maggie.

"First door on the right. I wouldn't go in the second one. I think that's where Merle and Andrea are." Maggie said.

"We can call a cab and she can just go back to our place." Lori suggested. "Rick can carry her inside."

"I'm not so sure me carrying her anywhere is a good idea." Rick said as he stood up and swayed a bit himself.

"She'll be fine in the guest room." Glenn assured them. "Are you guys gonna stay here or call a cab?"

"Merle and Andrea are staying in one room, and Carol will be in the other, but in the loft we have a pullout couch." Maggie suggested.

"Nah, I think we'll call a cab. Shane or Michonne can take it." Rick replied. "I appreciate the offer though."

"I think I'll catch a cab with you guys." Shane said as he ran his hands over his head.

()()()

Daryl slowly got up with Carol in his arms and carried her to the guest room. When he opened the door of the room she shifted in his arms a bit and he watched her pick up her head and look at him. She almost looked confused

She looked over to the bed and looked back at Daryl, noticing she was in his arms. She let her eyes meet his. "Daryl…" She said

"Yeah."

"I think I'm gonna be sick."

As soon as she got the words out of her mouth she puked everywhere. It was all over herself and all over his shirt.

"Son of a bitch." Daryl muttered.

()()()

He called Maggie and Michonne into the room and got the two of them to help her out of her dress and clean her up some. He whipped his leather vest off and searched it over good. Thankfully none of the barf had gotten on it. His shirt was another story. It was covered. He quickly took it off and was glad that he had a wife beater on underneath. He went and sat on the bed while he waited for the girls to get done with her.

"Here, I'll take your shirt and wash it with her clothes." Maggie told him as she looked at him sympathetically.

"Thanks." He muttered.

"I'm gonna try to find something for her to wear to bed. I know she's not gonna wanna sleep in her underwear. She won't remember how she got in them if she wakes up."

He sighed and pulled his wife beater off. "Just put this on her."

"You sure?"

"Just take the damn thing before I change my mind."

Maggie went in the bathroom and placed the wife beater over Carol. Once she was decent she called Daryl in to pick her up and carry her back to bed. He had already pulled the covers back while they were cleaning her up went to place them over her. "Goodnight." He whispered to her and was about to make a bed for himself on the floor. He felt her grab his hand as he turned to walk way.

"Stay with me." She mumbled, not even bothering to open her eyes.

"I am. I'm gonna sleep right here on the floor."

This time she forced her eyes open and let them meet his. "Get in the bed. I don't wanna sleep alone."

"That's not a good idea, Carol." He protested.

"Please." She said poking her lip out.

"Damnit." "Why are you doing this to me?" He muttered as he climbed in on the other side of the bed.

Once he got himself under the covers he felt her move closer to him and rest her head near his shoulder. He looked up and stared at the ceiling and couldn't help but remember the last time he'd shared a bed with her.

()()()

 _***Flashback***_

 _He had finished his last cup of jack and coke. Everyone was still playing that truth, dare or drink game and he figured if he was gonna keep playing he was gonna need more to drink. People kept asking him all kinds of personal shit he'd never tell them, no matter how drunk he got. Hell, he was still in shock he'd had the balls to let Carol kiss him in front everyone, he was even more shocked that they'd let things get that heated in front of everyone. It was like when she was kissing him he had blocked everything out. It had been a damn good kiss too, just as good as he'd always imagined it to be. It would have been even better if all their friends and his older brother hadn't been watching._

" _I'm gonna go grab a re-fill." He announced. As he stood up to walk away he swayed and almost fell over. Carol must have been watching, because the next thing he knew she was right beside him and was helping him hold himself up._

" _You don't need another one." She said with a laugh._

" _But I'm out." He replied, tipping his cup over to show her._

" _You may be, but you've got a long ride ahead of you tomorrow and you don't need to be any more hung over for it than you already are._

" _I don't wanna go to be bed." He whined._

" _Daryl, you're leaving tomorrow." She said sadly. "You need some sleep."_

 _He looked up and met her gaze. She looked like she was going to start crying if she had to mention he was leaving again. He also realized she was right. It was a long way from Georgia to Virginia and he didn't wanna spend that ride pulling over every five minutes to hurl. "Alright fine." He relented_

" _You can take him to Shawn's room if you want." Maggie told Carol. "Rick and Lori are gonna take Beth's and Shane and Andrea are taking the guest room. Merle, Michonne and T-dog are gonna sleep down here. I don't want anyone staying in Daddy's room. He'll notice if someone's been in his bed."_

" _Thanks. I'm gonna go ahead and go to sleep too. I'll just stay up there with Daryl to save space for everyone."_

 _She helped him up the stairs and into Shawn's room. He crawled into bed first and she moved in beside him._

" _I swear this room feels like its spinning." Daryl groaned and placed a hand over his face._

" _Yet you wanted to keep drinking."_

" _I was having fun."_

" _Yeah, I was too. That's an interesting little game Shane came up with." She snorted._

" _I never thought I'd see my brother in a thong." He said and they both started laughing._

 _She had been laying on her back the whole time, but turned on her side to face him. "I can't believe it's gonna be months before I see you again. I'm really gonna miss you." She said softly. The sadness in her voice easily detected._

 _He moved his hand off of his face and turned to face her too. "I'm gonna miss you too." He said, his tone matching hers_

 _The two of them laid there, staring into each other's eyes not saying anything for a moment. He let his mind go back to that kiss that they had shared downstairs. As much as he didn't wanna admit it, that had been his first kiss. He was 18 and it embarrassed the hell out of him to know that. He wasn't good with women, not in the least. And to be honest, the only one he'd wanted to kiss had been her anyway. He'd just been too chicken shit to make a move on his own. He didn't wanna mess up their friendship, and he also didn't wanna look like an idiot by not knowing what he was doing. If he hadn't been drunk tonight he probably wouldn't have given her that nod to let her know it was okay. Liquid courage went a long way for him. Once she kissed him he still had no clue what to do, but then he started remembering stuff Merle had said over the years and tried some of it. Apparently it worked out, because even though it had only been something she did on a dare, she seemed just as into it as he was. As she laid here in front of him he found himself wanting to kiss her again, and he knew this was the last opportunity he'd have for a long time. He was even drunker now than he had been downstairs and he found himself feeling brave. He inched himself closer and closer to her, until finally their faces were in front of each other. His heart was pounding so hard he felt like it might bust out of his chest, but he had to do it. He just kept telling himself that he was Merle Dixon's younger brother and it was in his blood. Her eyes were locked on his expectantly, like she knew what he wanted to do. He took a deep breath and went for it, placing a small kiss against her lips._

 _She must have been thinking the same thing he was, because she eagerly started kissing him back. They stayed like that a few minutes. Each of them on their side, kissing one another, neither of them coming up for air. Things started to get heated and he found himself on top of her somehow. They continued to make out and he knew she had to feel his boner pressing against her, but if she did it didn't stop her. Without thinking he instinctively slid his hand up her shirt. After a few minutes of groping her breasts she finally broke the kiss. He was getting ready to apologize and climb off of her, but instead of asking him to stop she started kissing down his neck. He let out a moan and buried his head in her shoulder. She cupped his face with her hands and brought it back to her mouth. She started kissing him again, this time she slid her hands under his shirt. She was running them up and down his back and before he knew it he felt her pulling his shirt off. He was panting now, barely able to breath at this point. Then he felt her run her hands along the inside of his pants. He let out another moan in between kisses and then he felt her undo his pants. He stopped kissing her then, realizing how serious this was getting and not wanting her to do something she'd regret. "What are you doing?" He asked breathlessly._

 _She didn't answer him, instead she moved him off of her and back down onto the bed. She started kissing him again and slid his pants down some. She reached in his boxers and grabbed him._

" _Carol, you don't have to…" He forced himself to say._

" _It's okay. I want to." She said letting his eyes meet hers to show him that she knew what she was doing and she didn't wanna stop._

 _Before he knew it she was kissing his neck again and he found himself reaching for her button. He slid his hands down her pants, and hoped that all that shit Merle talked about doing to women over the years had stuck with him. It must have, because she was squirming around and moaning too. After a few minutes she stopped what she was doing to him and pulled his hand away from her. He watched as she slid her jeans off and rolled over on top of him. She started kissing him and grinding back and forth on him and if he wasn't drunk he probably would have busted a nut a long time ago. She was driving him fucking crazy. She stopped what she was doing and pulled her shirt off. He stared at her in awe. She was only in her bra and underwear now. He let his hands slide up and down her and took a deep breath. She reached behind her to pull her bra off and as she did he lets his hands wander all over her. She leaned down and started kissing him again and suddenly it hit him. They were going to have sex, or she wanted them to at least, and he'd be a lying son of a bitch if he said he didn't want to, but he didn't have a condom and he wasn't about to be a daddy._

" _Wait, stop." He managed between heavy breathes. "I don't have, I don't have a."_

" _Reach into that drawer beside you." She said panting. "Metal spider-man box."_

 _He did as she said and pulled out the box. He opened it and saw a can of dip and three Trojans. "How'd you know this was here?"_

" _Glenn and Maggie stole Shawn's condoms the first time they had sex. I was really just hoping a few would still be there."_

 _He grabbed one of the condoms and lifted her up. He placed her on the bed and positioned himself on top of her. She started sliding his pants off and soon they were heavily making out again. He felt little Daryl slip out of his boxers and press up against her underwear. He stopped what he was doing and went to open the condom. As soon as he did, he knew he had to make 100% sure that this was okay with her before they went all the way._

" _Are you sure you want to?" "I mean, you've never done this and as much as I want to, we don't have to."_

" _Daryl, I want to. If you don't we can stop." "I mean, you're a virgin too, aren't you?"_

 _He swallowed hard and nodded. "You're the first girl I've ever even kissed." He admitted and kissed her again before moving to slide his boxers off and she removed her underwear.. He placed the condom on and moved himself on top of her. "Just say the word and I stop." He watched as she nodded and then he went to move inside of her._

 _ **(I'm not used to writing sexual scenes and I'm not sure I'm very good at it or that comfortable with it, but I tried. This was super long. Like twice as long as normal. I hope you guys read it all. I know I zone out if things are really long because I have ADD.)**_


	12. Chapter 12

**( & after that last installment you all are so close to knowing why Daryl feels like a dick and why Carol is really upset with him. Who knows, maybe you'll find out in this chapter, but maybe not. You just have to read this and see. Enjoy and thanks for the lovely reviews.)**

Carol could feel herself drifting into consciousness that morning, but she was fighting it with everything she had in her. She had slept hard last night, and she was so comfortable and warm in this bed. She wanted to stay there as long as possible. She hadn't slept that good since moving back to King County. Her bed at Rick and Lori's was usually a lot stiffer and harder and she hadn't quite adjusted to it yet. Right now it felt soft and plush. She went to roll over and she felt herself kick something. It startled her enough that it made her eyes shoot open. She instantly noticed a shirtless man in bed next to her, but it wasn't just any shirtless man, it was Daryl. He was sleeping on his belly with his back clearly visible. She saw a demon tattoo on his shoulder blade and couldn't miss the unmistakable scars on his back that she'd help nurse when they were wounds many years ago. She forced herself to look around the room and noticed she wasn't at Rick and Lori's. She'd never seen this room before, it was a spacious room with mint green paint on the walls. She wondered where the hell she was and how the hell she got there. Panic was setting in and her heart began to race. She peeled the covers back to see if she was still dressed. She didn't have her dress on, instead she was donning a grey wife beater. One she was sure belonged to the man beside her, because it smelled just like him. She tried hard to re-call the events of last night. She couldn't piece it all together. She vaguely remembered jumping in his lap, she remembered him carrying her back her and putting her in bed, she remembered asking him to stay with her.

"Shit, shit, shit." She said as she sat up and placed her hands in her head. Her only conclusion was that she'd let herself sleep with him again. "Not again." She cried out.

 _***Flashback***_

 _It was the morning after the party at Maggie and Glenn's. She stirred in bed, not quite ready to wake up yet. She let the memories of last night with Daryl flood her brain. She couldn't believe it had happened. Kissing him was so natural, so right. She regretted that she hadn't been doing it longer. If any part of her had known he'd be okay with it, she sure would have. She hadn't meant to let things go as far as they did between them. She had wanted to kiss him again, and when he made the move and kissed her she let things get carried away. She couldn't help it, the chemistry between them was so intense, so passionate. She hadn't planned on losing her virginity to her best friend that night, but she knew she didn't regret it that morning. She trusted him, more importantly she was in love with him. She had been for a while now. She was 18 and all of her other friends had started having sex before now, all except for Daryl anyway. Sure, they had been drunk, but she didn't feel like it was cheap or wrong or diminished what they did in anyway, it's something she would have done with him sober. She could feel her stomach flutter as she thought about the events of last night and how much she cared about him. Sure, he was leaving today, but maybe she should tell him how she felt. They'd be states away, but she didn't feel like that mattered. She hadn't let herself get close to another guy all throughout high school because of him and had never seen him pine after another girl either. She decided she was going to roll over and kiss him and see how that went this morning._

" _Morning." She said with a smile as opened her eyes and went to roll over, but when she did, she noticed Daryl was nowhere to be found. She shot up in bed and scanned the room. "Daryl?" She called out. "Hey, Daryl?" She pushed the covers back from her, only to remember she was still naked. She started to gather up her clothes that were strewn across the bed and on the floor. She found everything but her bra. She pulled the covers back again and checked the area she had been sleeping in. She saw her bra, and also found something else that caught her eye. It was the shirt Daryl had been wearing last night. A gray t-shirt with a black skull on it. She felt her heart drop when she saw it. She had removed the shirt herself and knew Daryl hadn't had a tank top on under it. Her hope that he was just down stairs started dwindling, because she knew he'd never walk down there bare back for everyone to get a peek at the scars he bore. She clutched the shirt to her chest and fought back tears. She kept telling herself she was over reacting. Maybe he woke up and couldn't get back to sleep and wasn't able to find his shirt so he got something of Shawn's. Surely he wouldn't get up and leave without saying anything after what they had done last night._

 _She made her way downstairs and into the Greene's kitchen. She was still clutching onto Daryl's shirt. She rounded the corner and saw Rick, Lori, Maggie, Glenn, Shane, Andrea, Michonne and T-dog sitting around eating. Daryl was nowhere to be seen, and neither was Merle._

" _We were starting to wonder if you were ever gonna wake up." Maggie said as she saw Carol out of the corner of her eye._

" _Yeah, you two went to sleep before anyone else, and you're the last to wake up." Rick chuckled._

 _She stood there blankly, not saying a word. She kept letting her eyes scan the kitchen and then glaze over into the living room. She was hoping to catch a glance of Daryl of Merle somewhere._

" _You alright?" Lori asked. Carol was being too quiet and she had this nauseous look on her face._

" _I um, I ah….Is Daryl down here?" She managed to get out_

 _The others looked at one another confused._

" _We thought he was still upstairs asleep with you." Glenn spoke up._

" _I woke up and he was gone." "Are you sure he and Merle aren't down here somewhere."_

" _Merle was gone when we woke up." Michonne replied._

" _What!?" Carol said with a quivery voice_

" _You know Merle, he's always dipping out. I'm sure he's fine." Shane said as he took a bite of pancakes."_

 _Carol gripped the shirt of Daryl's she was holding as tight as she could. She had a hold on it so good that her knuckles were turning white. "Rick, I need you to take me to Daryl's."_

" _Alright, I'll finish my food and we'll go."_

" _No, Rick, now!"_

" _Carol, calm down. Merle probably took Daryl home with him this morning to finish packing. I know you're upset about him leaving, but he isn't going anywhere without telling everyone bye. Especially not you." T-dog offered with an encouraging smile._

 _She wasn't listening though, she stopped listening the moment she realized he was gone without a word._

" _Please, Rick." She begged between tears._

 _Rick noticed the tears falling and saw the pained look on her face. That's when he noticed it, the gray shirt clutched in her hands. The same shirt he saw his friend wearing last night. "Let's go." He said as he jumped out of his chair. "Shane, take Lori home. I love you and I'll call you later." He said to his girlfriend._

 _()()()_

 _Carol was silent on the entire way to Daryl's house. Rick kept looking over at her, wishing she'd say something._

" _What happened?" He asked her softly._

 _She bit her bottom lip and twisted the shirt around in her hands "I don't wanna talk about it."_

" _Okay." He said hesitantly as he pulled up in Daryl's driveway. "You want me to go with you?" He asked as he shifted the car in park._

" _Just give me a minute." She said and headed for the door of the small house out in the woods that Daryl shared with his father. She knocked on the door, hoping that he'd answer and have some reason as to why they were gone this morning when she woke up._

" _Carol?" Mr. Dixon said with raised eyebrows as he opened the door._

" _Hey Mr. Dixon." She said nervously. "I just, well I wanted to stop by and talk to Daryl for a minute."_

" _Daryl left about an hour ago, kid. They said they decided to get an early jump on the road." "Him and Merle was with you at that party last night weren't they?" "They didn't tell you bye this morning?"_

 _She shook her head, and choked back the tears that were threatening to fall. She wasn't going to cry in front of his dad. "No, they didn't." She said and turned to walk away. She saw his dad look at her, almost with sympathy and disbelief in his eyes._

" _I can't believe the little shit didn't tell you bye. Sorry kid." His dad called out to her._

 _She made a beeline for Rick's truck and burst into tears when she opened the door "He's gone, Rick, he's gone. Daryl's gone. He left, he just left without saying anything."_

 _Rick pulled her in got a hug and held her close. "I'm sorry." He said as he ran a comforting hand up and down her back. He held her like that as she sobbed and waited a while for her to calm down. The two of them still parked in Daryl's driveway. "What happened last night?" He asked once the tears slacked off a bit. Although he was sure he already knew the answer._

" _We slept together….we slept together last night…and he just left to move thousands of miles away and didn't even say anything this morning…..We were supposed to go grab breakfast this morning and I was gonna finish helping him pack a few little things before he left…I had a present for him, he knew I had something for him…..How could he do that, how could he leave after we did that without saying anything?"_

 _***End of Flashback***_

"No. No. No. I can't believe this happened." She kept repeating to herself over and over again. Her head was already starting to pound and she started to feel sick to her stomach. Daryl must have heard her mumbling to herself because she saw him start to stir too. He slowly lifted his head and blinked a few times.

"You alright?" He groggily asked her.

"Not really. I can't believe I'm so stupid." She replied hanging her head down and refusing to look at him.

"You ain't stupid. Everybody does it every now and then."

"What?" She exclaimed.

"I mean, it's been a while since I have, but everybody lets things get a little out of hand now and then."

Her jaw dropped. "Oh my God…how often does this happen with you?" "Is it just a regular thing?"

"I told you, I've been living with Merle for the last six years. I've had plenty of nights like that." He laughed."

"So what, you just went off and turned into Merle?" She snapped.

"Nah, Merle lets it happen to him all the time, I only get like that every now and then. It's probably been six months or so for me."

"I'm think I'm gonna be sick… At least tell me you had a condom."

"A condom?" "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about me and you and last night and I need to know if we were safe if you've been off fucking random girls while you're drunk the last six years." She shouted out.

It suddenly dawned on him that they had been talking about two very different things for the last few minutes. He was talking about how wasted she got, while she obviously was under the impression that they had sex. At first he had no idea why she'd even think that, but then he realized he was shirtless and she was woke up in his tank top and probably had no recollection of how they got that way. "No….we didn't…..we didn't… do anything last night. I was talking about getting wasted…..not …..sex." He shyly told her.

She eyed him suspiciously. "Where's my dress then?"

He sighed and started rubbing his temples. "You were running around the room telling everyone you missed em. When you got to me you came and sat in my lap and ended up falling asleep against me. I picked you up and was gonna put you in bed and before I did you puked all over yourself and me."

She felt her face flush. "I'm so sorry… I can't believe I threw up on you….. Did you…. did you take my dress off?"

"No, I got Michonne and Maggie to do that and gave them my wife beater to put on you."

She nodded her head and let her eyes meet his. "So, how'd you end up in bed with me then?"

He shook his head. "You asked me too. I tried to tell you it wasn't a good idea." He mumbled.

"So we didn't do anything then?" She said relieved.

"Nah. We didn't. You could barely hold your head up, I ain't like that…. and despite what you may think… I ain't Merle. Never have been and never will be." He made sure her eyes met his so she could read the sincerity in them when he finished that sentence. He didn't want her thinking he just got drunk and slept around all the time. It kind of hurt him that she thought that.

"I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions."

"Don't worry about it." He muttered

"Thank you for taking care of me last night." She said with a smile and pulled him in for a hug. She pressed her body into him and held onto him tightly and when she let go of him she placed a gentle kiss on his forehead.

Her actions surprised him, sure she'd been prone to be affectionate with him last night while she was drunk, but he hadn't expected her to act that way today or anytime soon. He wasn't going to complain though, yet he wasn't going to let himself overthink it either. It didn't necessarily mean anything. "Come on, let's go see if anyone else is up and your clothes are dry. Maggie was washing em and my shirt too."

As he got out of bed and stood up he started to stretch and she let her eyes sweep over his shirtless body. He was sporting an impressive six pack and his pants slid down a little when he stretched and she got a nice view of his V cut. She stayed in bed, letting her gaze linger over him.

"What?" He asked self-consciously when he noticed her staring at him. He picked up his leather vest of the floor and slid it over his arms so he'd have something to cover his back when they walked in the kitchen.

"Nothing." She said as she got up out of bed.

()()()

The two of them walked towards the kitchen because they heard some noise coming from that direction and were taken back by the sight they found there. Merle was at the stove scrapping something out of a pan and whistling and Andrea was sitting at the bar watching him.

What the fuck?" Daryl whispered to Carol.

Merle turned around to grab something off of the bar and spotted Carol and his younger brother.

"You two hungry?" Merle asked. "I'm making eggs."

"Ummm….I guess I could eat." Carol said as she looked up at Daryl with just as much confusion etched on her face as he had on his.

"Fried or scrambled?"

"Fried…"

"What about you Darlina?"

"Fried I guess."

"You two must be just as hungry as we are, seeing as how you ain't got no shirt on and she's standing here in your wife beater." "What'd you do, rip her damn dress off?" "Not that it surprises me the way you kept looking at her last night in that dress. I mean hell, it's been years since you got laid. I was starting to get real worried about ya." Merle said with a laugh.

"Oh my God." Carol muttered and slid behind Daryl. She leaned her head down and buried it against his back.


	13. Chapter 13

**(I agree, it was a total dick move on Daryl's part. He knows it too. Eventually we are going to get to take a peek at 18 year old Daryl's mind that morning and beyond. I hope what he did doesn't diminish the story for anyone! Please keep reading and reviewing. I love reviews, they make my day. OAN: Thanks to this story and my other one, I constantly have to stop myself from writing in southern slang in my daily life. Haha.)**

Carol had stayed at Maggie and Glenn's and eaten breakfast with Daryl, Merle and Andrea Sunday morning. Michonne, Glenn and Maggie had eventually woken up and joined them in the kitchen. She thanked Maggie and Michonne for helping her get changed and washing her dress the night before and apologized for getting so drunk. Maggie had assured her that it was no big deal and that everyone had a good time. She changed back into her dress after she finished eating and gave Daryl his tank top back. She decided she'd just drive Rick's truck home for him since he'd left it there when he took the cab home. He'd left his keys with Glenn. Once she got home she'd spent the rest of the day in bed, nursing the massive hangover she had. She hadn't thrown up anymore, but she felt like she'd been hit by a truck and her head was killing her. She was pretty sure she'd never be able to drink cranberry juice again. Later Sunday night she got up and decided to do some baking.

"What are you doing?" Lori asked her friend as she entered the kitchen and noticed her stirring something in a bowl.

"Making a cake." Carol replied with a shrug as she continued to stir the contents of the bowl.

She cocked her eyebrows at her. "I'm surprised you can even stand the smell of food right now."

"I think I got all of the vomiting out last night." She laughed. "I slept pretty much all day, I just wanted to get up and do something."

Lori walked over and dipped her index finger into the bowl then pressed it to her lips and licked the cake batter off.

"Stop." Carol said, as she swatted Lori's hand.

"I just wanted a taste." Lori replied as she playfully pushed Carol.

"This cake isn't for you, so hands off." She warned with a stern look

"Who's it for then?"

"Tomorrow's the grand opening of Daryl and Merle's shop. I just figured I'd make them something for good luck."

Lori's face crinkled up and her voice took on a mothering tone. "You need to be careful."

"I'm just baking a cake, Lori. I think I can handle it."

"You know I'm not talking about the cake."

Carol rolled her eyes and pulled out a baking pan and started pouring the cake batter into it. "It's not just for Daryl, I'm making it for Merle too. There's nothing wrong with doing something nice for people."

"I'm just trying to look out for you. I know seeing him again has brought back a lot of feelings and I know how much you missed him. I really do, and I'm glad the two of you are getting along, it's better than you being sad about it all the time or you trying to run around town and avoid him, but I just don't want you to let your guard down with him."

"I'm not letting my guard down." Carol snapped as she slammed the empty mixing bowl down on the counter. "I haven't forgotten about what he did and a big part of me is still hurt and mad about it. Maybe I always will be. I can't excuse what he did and I won't, but I do believe that he feels bad about it. What he did doesn't erase the fact that he was my best friend for ten years, it doesn't change every smart and kind thing he ever did that made me feel the way I do about him, and it can't make me hate him. Not even if I should. I've spent six years away from him, Lori, but someone how I still know what his favorite food is, I could still go order his favorite coffee and bring it to him, I can still look him in the eye and know if he's telling me the truth about something or not. He can still do the same for me. We've got this bond, this connection, and no matter what it's always gonna be there, whether I want it to or not."

Lori nodded her head and reached out to place a hand on Carol's shoulder. "I just don't wanna see you get hurt again."

Carol rested her elbows on the counter and propped her chin in her hands. "I know that, I do. But somehow not talking to him hurts worse. I know that doesn't make any sense at all and I sound like an idiot."

"You're not an idiot." Lori said with a smile. "You just love him."

"Same difference." Carol mumbled.

()()()

The next morning on her way to work Carol decided to drop the cake by the shop to them. She made her way into the front door of the shop and saw Merle busy talking with a customer. She was contemplating just leaving the cake somewhere with a note, but then she heard a voice behind her.

"Car trouble already?" "Didn't you just buy the damn thing?" Daryl said with a smile in his voice.

She turned around to face him and offered him a smile. She noticed he was wearing a dark blue jump suit that had Dixon's Auto printed on it. It was complete with his name embroidered on it in white. She couldn't help but notice how sexy he looked in it. "I just wanted to bring you this." She said as she handed him the white, square box she was carrying.

"What is it?" He asked shaking it a bit

"Open it."

He pulled the tabs out of the corner that were holding the box closed to reveal a cake. This wasn't just any cake though, it had clearly been customized for him and Merle. It was decorated with wrenches and jumper cables and had a car with its hood up. The bottom read good luck Daryl and Merle. "Did you make this?" He asked surprised.

"Yeah, last night."

"It's pretty impressive. Especially if you consider the fact that I watched you burn ramen noodles once."

"Do you want me to take the cake back?" She said with a scowl.

"I was just messing with you. You did a good job. It looks great."

"I worked at a bakery when I was in college for a while. They taught me how to do stuff like this." She said with a shrug.

"I really appreciate you bringing it by. You didn't have to."

She could tell by the soft tone of his voice that it meant a lot to him that she took the time to make it and she stopped it by. "I wanted to." She insisted. "Anyway, I better go. I don't wanna be late for work."

()()()

Carol worked a 12 hour shift that day and didn't get home until a little after nine. When she entered the house that night she was surprised to find Daryl in the living room, along with Rick and Lori. She looked at the two men and then over to Lori, as if to telepathically ask her what he was doing here. Lori just looked back at her and shrugged her shoulders slightly, like she had no clue why he was here.

Rick had been sitting with Daryl on the couch the last hour or so playing Call of Duty. He paused the game when he noticed Carol enter the house. "How was work?" He asked.

"It was a long day." She sighed, then looked over to Daryl, who already had his eyes fixed on her. She gave him a nod to acknowledge his presence and he nodded back at her.

"Have you eaten?" Lori asked. "There's some chicken parmesan left over in the kitchen. Unless Daryl ate it all." She snorted.

"I live with Merle." "Do you have any idea how often I get home cooked meals?" "I didn't even know he knew how to cook until I saw him making those eggs the other morning." He said trying to defend himself.

"Good sex works miracles." Rick said with a laugh.

Carol felt the smile play at her lips and she shook her head. She didn't need the mental image of Merle and Andrea in her head. "I grabbed something before I left the hospital. Thanks, though. I'm gonna go get a shower and get ready for bed."

()()()

She could still hear the gunshots coming from the video game in the living room when she got out of the shower. She thought about joining them in the living room for a while, but opted to just go to her room and put on a movie instead. She remembered the talk she had with Lori the night before. Giving Daryl the cake this morning had probably been enough interaction for the two of them for one day. She had no idea why he was here right now, but she assumed he was just bored after work and dropped in to see Rick. She slid on her favorite fuzzy pink and red heart pajamas and a red tank top and crawled into bed. She started flipping through channels and came across the original Fast & Furious Movie. It had just started, so she figured she'd watch it. She was about twenty minutes into the movie when she heard a knock on the door. "Come in." She said.

Her door opened slowly and it wasn't Rick or Lori behind it. Instead, it was Daryl. "Hey." He said softly.

She had been laying down, but shifted her body up against the head board when he came in. "Hey." She replied.

He closed the door behind him and walked over towards the bed. He nervously ran a hand through his hair. "I uh…..I just wanted to give you this." He said as he held out a small gold bag.

Her eyes grew wide and she felt her eyebrows shoot up. "What's this?"

"You brought that cake by and Merle and I felt bad. I mean, you just started a new job too and we didn't get you anything."

"I've been a nurse for a two years. It's not exactly new to me."

"NICU is and so is working at this hospital" He pointed out. "Besides, we wanted to."

She slowly opened the bag and pulled out something wrapped in white paper. When she pulled the paper back she couldn't help but let out a laugh. It was a shot glass that read nurses need shots too and had a syringe on it. "I guess after the other night this did seem like the perfect present." She said as she looked up at him and grinned.

"Merle picked that one out." He said matching her grin. "There's something else in there too." He pointed at the bag.

She reached in again and pulled out a small, white box. She looked up at him curiously.

"Open it." He told her eagerly.

She slowly lifted the top off of the box. "Daryl." She said emotionally as she removed what was inside.

"Do you like it?"

She looked it over closely. It was a sterling silver Pandora charm bracelet that had a stethoscope, a syringe, a nurses' hat, a heart with tiny foot prints in it, and a RN symbol. "I can't take this." She said as she held it out to him.

"Why not?" He asked. The hurt obvious in his voice.

"Because it's expensive…and it's just….it's too much."

It's not just from me. It's from me and Merle and we wanted you to have it. We wanted to say thanks for bringing us that cake and for being supportive of us."

"Daryl…"

"Do you not like it?"

"No, I love it…..but"

"Then keep it. Please. I wanted to…..I mean we wanted to get it for you."

She looked him in his eyes and could tell how much he wanted her to have it. He, or he and Merle, had obviously put a lot of thought into it and it seemed important to him that she keep it. "Thank you, but you two really didn't have to."

"I told you, I wanted to."

She looked up at him and smiled. He was still wearing that dark blue jump suit and he was covered in grease. It didn't look like he'd even been home to shower yet. "How was your first day?" She asked

"It was really good. We had a lot of business. I ran into a lot of people I haven't seen in a while either. Jim came in to get his oil changed. He's married and has two kids."

"Wow, really?" "Good for him. I can't even remember the last time I saw him."

"I let him get a piece of that cake you made. He really like it."

"You must not have if you were giving it away." She joked.

"Best cake I've ever had." He smirked. "You've come a long way from burning ramen noodles."

"Stop." She said blushing.

"I'm being serious. It probably wasn't a good idea though. Merle keeps saying you're gonna have to come over and cook for him one night now."

"I might have to now." She said holding up the bracelet. "I feel like I owe both of you."

"You don't owe us nothing." He replied growing serious.

She looked at him and nodded. For whatever reason, he felt like he needed to give this to her and it was important to him that she accept it and be happy about it.

"I know you had a long day. Guess, I better get going so you can get some sleep."

"I'm not going to sleep anytime soon. I was just watching Fast and Furious before you came in." She said motioning at the TV with her head that was currently paused.

He looked over at the screen and felt nostalgia wash over him. "You remember when we saw that together?"

"Yeah, we ran into Merle and his friends and they gave you hell about us being on a date so you left a seat between us."

"In my defense, I was like ten."

She shook her head at him, because even though he may have been ten at the time she was still pretty sure he'd have reacted the same way at 14 if someone had said the same thing. He was always so easily embarrassed and awkward about girls. She thought back about the comment Merle had made when the two of them walked in the kitchen Sunday morning. How he said that it had been years since Daryl slept with someone. As good looking as he was she highly doubted that was true, but then again he was so guarded and so shy. She wondered if it could be. "Do you wanna stay and watch it?" She asked absent mindedly. He looked at her, his eyes were unsure and his body was tense. She regretted asking him after the words left her mouth. Of course he didn't wanna stay. It was ten at night and he was still covered in grease and he had to work tomorrow.

He shifted back and forth thinking about her invitation and brought his thumb up to the corner of his mouth. "Are you sure you want me to?" He asked hesitantly.

"You don't have to. I'm sure you're tired and you still need a shower. Don't worry about it." She stammered

"No, I wanna stay… I mean….I wanna watch it."

"Get in." She said as she slid over some in the bed to make room for him.


	14. Chapter 14

**(Thanks for reading and reviewing. Don't worry, we have plenty more flashbacks to come and Daryl will eventually find out about Ed and the way he treated her. I don't think he's gonna be too happy about it either…Oh, and Carol is opening up a lot with him again and their friendship is re-blossoming, but she still isn't quite over what he did and may be a little more angry/upset about it than even she realizes…)**

Daryl had stayed with Carol and finished the movie Monday night. It was almost 12 when he finally left and she ended up feeling a little bad about it. He still had to get a shower and he had to work tomorrow, she didn't. She had enjoyed hanging out with him though. They'd done a little reminiscing during commercials, but mostly sat in a comfortable silence, just enjoying being in each other's company. That was the thing about them, they had always been able to enjoy being around each other, even if they weren't talking. Before he had left he'd asked her if she wanted to grab lunch one day during the week. She told him she'd like that and he'd ended up stopping by on Thursday. He'd brought her a grilled ham and cheese with a cup of soup from Lori's café and himself chicken strips and fries. He wouldn't let her pay him back for the food either, despite her insistence. It was Friday now, and she hadn't seen him again. She didn't have to work Saturday and depending on what else came up she found herself considering dropping by his and Merle's place and maybe cooking them dinner. She hadn't made up her mind yet and was currently on her way to meet Maggie for lunch.

"Gotta love hospital Salisbury steak, green beans and mashed potatoes." Carol said grimacing as she sat her tray down beside Maggie.

"I know right?" Maggie chuckled. "Did you try the tuna casserole yesterday?" "It was disgusting."

"Actually, Daryl brought me lunch from Lori's yesterday." Carol said, after taking a bite of her mashed potatoes.

Maggie titled her head to the side and gave Carol an inquisitive look. "That was awfully nice of him."

"He keeps doing all of these little nice things for me. I'd forgotten how sweet he was. I know we never dated or anything, but he'd always buy me food or pay my way at the movies if we went. Just little things. I guess I didn't realize how much they meant to me until I was with someone like Ed."

"What do you mean?" She asked curiously.

"At first, Ed took me to nice dinners and gave me flowers. Charming little things like that made me agree to go out with him in the first place, well that and I was lonely." Carol regretfully admitted. "But after the first two months he stopped doing that completely. In fact, I would end up paying for wherever we went or whatever we did. I let him live with me and I paid all of the bills. He said it made sense because I made the most money. The engagement ring he gave me was one that he'd actually gotten from his brother and it had belonged to his ex-wife. I guess I just forgot what it was like to have someone do nice things for me."

"The guy sounds like he was a total ass and a loser."

"He really was. I don't know what I was thinking."

"Have you told Daryl about him?"

She pressed her lips together hard and shook her head. "I'm not so sure he'd handle that too well."

"You might wanna tell him before someone else does." Maggie pointed out.

"I will, eventually, I'm just not ready to have that conversation yet." Carol said as she reached over the table to grab some napkins. When she did the long sleeved shirt she had on under her scrubs slid up a bit and revealed her new charm bracelet.

Maggie leaned over the table to get a good look at it. "That's really cute." "Where'd you get it?"

"Daryl and Merle bought it for me. I'm not sure where they got it, but it's a Pandora bracelet."

Maggie's eyes got wide and she cocked her eyebrows. "Daryl and Merle Dixon?" She said suspiciously.

"It's nothing. I baked them a cake to say good luck on their first day and they felt bad that they hadn't gotten me anything for my new job. Daryl gave it to me Monday night…..and a shot glass." She added with a chuckle.

"I can see a shot glass as a Merle gift." Maggie chuckled too.

The two of them continued talking and shifted their conversation to the fact that they couldn't believe Merle and Andrea had hooked up over the weekend. They finished their lunch and were both about to return to their shifts.

"Hey, what are you doing tomorrow?" Maggie asked before walking away.

"I'm not sure yet, but if you're throwing another party count me out. I have to work Sunday."

"I think I'm good on drinking with you for a while. I clean up enough puke here at work." She smirked.

"So what do you have in mind then?"

"The fair is in town and Glenn and I are going. I just wanted to see if you wanted to come."

"I haven't been to the fair in forever, count me in."

"Great!" "We'll pick you up around noon."

"'Sounds good."

"Oh, and just so you know Glenn invited Daryl to come too." "He's gonna meet us there."

()()()

Carol woke up the next morning and started to get ready for the fair. It was a warm day in October, about 75 degrees. She opted against wearing long sleeves and threw on short sleeves and jeans instead. Maggie and Glenn were there to pick her up around noon just like she said she would be. When they go to the fair-grounds Daryl was already waiting for them, sitting on his motorcycle smoking a cigarette. Once they got inside Glenn was as excited as a kid in the candy store. He immediately went to a booth for some cotton candy and fried Oroes.

"You want anything?" The vendor asked Carol and Daryl after he took Maggie and Glenn's order.

"I'll take a funnel cake with strawberries and powdered sugar." Carol said. She went to reach into her purse to pay for it, but Daryl was already paying by the time she looked back up. "You don't have to keep buying me stuff." She told him.

"Would you stop complaining every time I try and do something nice for ya?" He smirked "It'd make it easier on us both."

The four of them sat down to eat and everyone ended up staring at Glenn as he inhaled his fried Oreos and cotton candy.

"Hey short round, why don't you slow down a little bit. You're gonna get sick." Daryl told Glenn.

"I'm not gonna get sick." Glenn scoffed. "I love fair food and I only get to eat it once a year. I'm just getting started."

The four of them walked around after they ate and let their food settle a bit before hitting up the rides. They stopped and looked around several booths and even eventually made their way to where the fair games were.

"Don't even think about it." Carol warned Daryl as they passed the ring toss game.

"Yeah, you wasted like two hundred bucks last time you tried. "Glenn pointed out.

 _***Flashback***_

 _Glenn, Maggie, Rick, Lori, Carol and Daryl had come to the fair. It was their junior year of high school. Everyone's parents had sent them with money, except for Daryl's. His dad never gave him any money. Any money he had earned solely from working with Dale at his shop. He'd come prepared today too. He brought $400.00 with him. They were getting ready to leave the fair and he still had about $200.00 with him._

" _Hello sir." The vendor said to Daryl as he walked by. "You wanna try your hand at ring toss."_

" _Nah, I'm good." Daryl replied as he kept walking._

" _If you win you get this nice Barnett Crossbow. It's worth $300.00." The man told him, flashing his best smile._

 _Daryl stopped in his tracks and eyed the crossbow. "One try can't hurt."_

 _Daryl was well over $100.00 into trying to win the crossbow by now and wasn't getting anywhere._

" _Stop wasting your money on this stupid game." Carol told him in an annoyed tone as she shot an evil glare at the vendor who just smiled as Daryl handed him another $20._

" _Maybe if you'd stop talking for five seconds I could concentrate and actually win."_

" _No you wouldn't because this game's rigged and made to take your money."_

" _It's not rigged. I can win the damn crossbow."_

" _By the time you get done pissing your money away you could've bought one."_

 _He had gone through all his tries again and still hadn't been able ring the bottle in the middle._

" _Another try?" The vendor asked as he held out more rings._

 _Carol watched and sighed as he handed the man another $20._

 _Attempt after attempt, Daryl still continued to fail. He reached into his wallet to pull out some more money, but it was empty. "Let me borrow 20 bucks." He said to Carol who was staring at him with her arms crossed and a death glare on her face._

" _No." She snapped._

" _You know I'll pay you back."_

" _It's not about that, I know you will. I'm just not letting you give this asshole any more money to try and win at a game he knows is completely fucking rigged." She snapped angling her eyes at the man. She said it loud enough that everyone around could hear her._

" _Now, now. Calm down." The vendor told her. "Here's something just for you for all his effort."_

 _She watched as she the man reached up and pulled down a small, stuffed Scooby Doo. He reached out and handed it to her and she snatched it away from him scowling the entire time._

***End of Flashback***

"Damn two hundred dollar Scooby Doo." Daryl muttered as they walked away from the game booths.

The four of them started hitting up the rides. They had all bought wristbands, so there wasn't a limit on what they could ride. The lines were pretty long since it was Saturday, but they had still managed to ride a lot so far. The fireball, the double shot, the claw, the starship, and bumper cars to name a few. It was late in the evening now and they decided to sit down and have some more food. Glenn ordered a turkey leg, a corn dog, apple dumplings and candy apples.

"Glenn, maybe you should slow down on the food." Maggie said softly. "You never eat this much at home."

"It'll be fine." He assured her as he stuffed his face with another bite of corn dog.

"He's like you with those Vodka cranberries." Daryl laughed looking over to Carol.

"Shut up." She said and punched him in the shoulder.

"See, that's why I didn't pay for your food this time. You're being mean." He smirked.

"You didn't pay for my food because I had my money out before you could." She corrected with a smirk of her own.

He shrugged and shoved some curly fries in his mouth.

()()()

After they finished eating, which took some time considering all that Glenn ordered, they decided to get back on some rides. They ended up on the Gravitron, which turned out not to be the best idea. Everything Glenn had just eaten ended up coming right back up.

"I don't feel so good." Glenn mumbled after he threw up two more times.

Maggie grimaced. "How come people keep throwing up around me on days off?" She grumbled. "I think we better go home." She said as she put an arm around Glenn.

Daryl looked down disappointedly. He was having a good time and he wasn't ready for the day to be over. Carol looked at him and frowned a bit. Then he realized that he drove here. "You wanna stay?" He asked her. "I can take you home."

"Would you mind if I stayed?" She looked to Maggie.

"No, stay and have fun. It's fine." She assured her.

()()()

The two of them rode a few more rides and then walked around some more. They somehow ended back up near the games. He stopped in front of the balloon pop.

"Daryl." She warned.

"I can win this one." He told her confidently.

She stopped in her tracks and looked him dead in the eyes. She just shook her head disapprovingly.

"Hear me out. I'm a hunter, an archer. All I have to do is hit the balloons and I win. I can do that."

"It's your money. I can't tell you what to do, but if you lose more than twice and still wanna keep going I have permission to hit you upside the head.

"Deal." He said as he walked up to the vendor and slid him some money.

Carol looked on as he hit balloon after balloon on his first try. He hadn't been wrong, he was good at this one.

"Nice job." The vendor told him.

Daryl looked back at Carol and flashed an arrogant smile.

"Okay. You win. You're good at this one."

"Take your pick." The vendor told Daryl motioning to a row of giant stuffed animals above them.

"Which one do you want?" He turned and asked Carol. "Stuffed animals ain't exactly my style."

"I'll take that one." She said with a smile as she pointed up to a blue and green frog.

()()()

"You ready to go home or do you wanna stay and watch the fireworks?" He asked as the two of them headed away from the game booths.

"I'd like to see the fireworks if you would." She replied as she tightened her grip on her oversized frog.

"We better go find a good spot on the greenway then. They'll be starting soon."

They walked over to the greenway in silence and made their way through a crowd of people who were already sitting down. They walked over towards the edge of the pond where people could ride paddle boats during the day. "This spot looks good as any." He said

She placed the frog on the grass behind her and laid back resting her head on it. He looked at her a minute, trying to gauge and see if it was okay for him to lay back next to her. She looked up at him and gave a slight nod, so he eased himself back.

"I still have that Scooby Doo." She told him

"No shit?" He said with a laugh.

"It sat on my dresser all throughout college. I figured since it was so expensive I needed to take good care of it."

"I was a hard headed son bitch. I shoulda listened to ya."

"At least it makes for a funny story." She said and turned her head towards him grinning.

"Hmm."

Things grew silent as they laid there waiting for fireworks to start. She turned over on her side and propped her head up. "What have you been doing the last six years?" "We haven't really had a chance to talk about much other than old memories or work."

He rolled his head over so he could look at her. "I really don't know." He replied.

She gave him a funny look.

"I mean, I was really just following Merle around for the most part" He said truthfully.  
"We started working at that auto shop that Merle's army buddy told him about and had jobs lined up for us at. Merle had mechanic experience from being in the army so he was doing cool shit and making good money. I was pushing a broom and cleaning tools for a while. They'd let me tape cars off, but no one would give me chance to work on cars even though I'd done some stuff with Dale before. Merle would stay late with me and teach me some things I didn't know. The guy who owned it, Reg, came in late one night to check on things and saw I actually knew what the hell I was doing. He finally started letting me work on stuff myself and gave me a pay raise. I just watched and learned whatever I could. His wife, Deanna, did the books and stuff. Merle and I both took an interest in the business side and they taught us a lot. We both really liked working there a lot, but this past year they started letting their sons take over. They're both spoiled little pricks who ain't got a clue what they're doing. When Dale told us he was selling his shop we jumped at the chance to start our own place and move home."

"What'd you do besides work?" "Did you have any close friends up there?"

"Not really. Not for a while anyway. If you don't remember, I ain't the most social person. Hell, even Merle with his damn gift of gab talking to people didn't have friends. Not real ones. We just had people we partied with. We'd go get drunk on the weekends, smoke some weed. Those guys didn't give a damn about us, they just wanted people to get fucked up with. Trust me, I got tired of that after a while and stopped going with him. I started hanging out at the shop late and re-building bikes. There was another guy named Aaron who worked there that did the same thing. We'd talk a lot while we re-built the bikes and sometimes I'd go hang out with him and his boyfriend. You know Merle had a lot to say about that too. He's a real simple minded piece of shit sometimes." Daryl shook his head. "He was a good guy though, Eric was too. I guess they were the closest thing I had to real friends up there. "

"So that was it then?" "Other than your friends Aaron and Eric and, Merle of course, you didn't really have anybody up there?"

"Nah, just them. Whenever Merle would go off chasing a piece of ass or Aaron and Eric were doing couple shit I'd just hang out by myself. Tune up my bike, put together plans for starting our own business, learn more about cars…To be honest, I'm a better mechanic than Merle. He'd never admit it though." He stopped talking when he realized how big she was smiling at him. "What?" He asked confused.

"I've just never heard you say something good about yourself like that before. I like hearing it. I can tell you really love what you do and it makes me really happy for you."

"I do love what I'm doing. I've always been good with my hands. That school shit wasn't for me….. I still need Merle for the business side though. He's cut throat, don't take no shit or sob story from nobody. I'd let someone con me out of money."

"You always had a big heart. It's part of what I love about you." She said tenderly.

He felt his face turn red and his ears grow hot. He was glad that he wasn't facing her right now so she couldn't see him. He let things get quiet between them and she didn't initiate any more conversation. "So what about you?" He finally said. "What was your life like in…" Before he could the sentence he heard the first set of fireworks go off. He turned over to look at her and she was laying on her back again looking up at the sky.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" She said, a smile radiating on her face as the light from the fireworks lit up the sky.

"Yeah, it is…." He said, but his eyes weren't on the sky watching the fireworks. They were fixed on her. He let his gaze linger on her for a minute, wishing more than anything he could kiss her right now. He knew he'd fucked up too bad though, he knew she'd never trust him enough to go there with him again. He finally let his gaze slide away from her and up to the sky.

 **(That ended up being a lot longer than I thought it would.)**


	15. Chapter 15

**(Thanks for reading and reviewing! I'm really enjoying this and I'm still mapping things out and deciding where I want things to go and how I want them to get there. I'm enjoying the process though. I agree that it may seem a bit odd that their friends aren't trying to keep them apart more, but they really all did share a close bond and each of them knew how close the two were growing up. Plus, even though Daryl and Carol hadn't seen each other in six years up until now, Daryl has come home a few times since moving away and run into some of his old friends and he did somewhat keep in touch with Rick to an extent that we'll venture into later. I think a whole lot of interesting things will be ventured into later. Hopefully anyway. As long as I know people are reading and enjoying them I will do my best to write and update frequently.)**

Once the fireworks were done the two of them made their way to his bike through the crowded parking lot. Everyone else was filing out from the fair about the same time so she knew it would be a while before they actually got out of here. Despite the warmer temperatures earlier in the day it was growing chilly and she regretted not brining a jacket. She stood by his bike waiting for him to finish his cigarette and clung the stuffed frog tight to her chest.

"You cold?" He asked as he pulled the cigarettes away from his lips.

"A little." She admitted.

He walked to his bike and lifted up the seat. He pulled out a black leather jacket with white angel wings on the back and held it out to her. "Here."

She looked him up and down, noticing he was only wearing a green, sleeveless button down. "It's okay. You wear it."

"Would you take the damn jacket?" "If you're freezing now imagine how cold you're gonna be when we're moving."

"You'll be cold too." She countered.

"Nah, I'll be fine." He assured her. "Besides, you'll be holding onto me."

()()()

On the ride home she had to situate the frog between them so that it wouldn't go flying off the bike. She was realizing that it was probably a good thing too, because having her arms wrapped tightly against his rock hard abdomen was taking her mind places it didn't need to be. Her head was pressed against his back to shield her face from the cold wind and she found herself not wanting to let go of him. She missed the physical closeness that they used to share. She recalled many times where they'd just lay down and watch movies together and she'd curl up into him or he'd lay back against her on the couch. It had taken a long time for him to get that comfortable physically with her, but once he did it had been nothing for them to share personal space with one another. She'd tried to avoid physical contact with him as much as possible since coming home, but when she got drunk last weekend that was out the window. She knew she still loved him, she knew she always would. Another thing she knew was that she was highly attracted to him. It wasn't even how fair how hot he was. That's why she had honestly assumed they had slept together when she woke up next to him last weekend. No one had ever kissed her quite the same way he had back then. For someone who didn't have any prior experience he was pretty damn good at it. He was good in bed too, or at least in her opinion he was. She'd only been with one other guy since him, so she didn't have a lot to compare it to, but even though it had been her first time, and it was somewhat painful at first, it had been amazing. She was broken out of her thoughts as she felt the bike slow up and saw the house come into view. A large part of her wasn't ready for the night to be over, but she knew it was probably best that it was. Sooner or later she was going to end up doing something stupid with him if she didn't get her sex drive and her feelings in check. She didn't know if he felt the same way she did, and truthfully, she didn't wanna know. She was too scared that if she got close to him he'd bolt again. Of course he wouldn't move states away this time, but he could stop talking to her, avoid her, or tell her they wouldn't work. She couldn't take that kind of pain again.

The two of them climbed off of the bike and he silently followed her to the door. He watched as she stopped in front of the door and turned to face him. "Thanks for giving me a ride home." She said.

"No problem. I had a really good time tonight. I'm glad you stayed."

"Yeah, me too." She said with a smile as she nervously shifted back and forth.

"Well, goodnight." He said with a small nod as he went to walk away.

"Hey, Daryl!" She called out.

He stopped and turned around on one foot to face her. "Yeah…"

"You almost forgot your jacket." She said as she quickly slinked it off and held it out too him. "I figure you might need it on the way home since I won't be holding onto you and all."

She was standing there holding his jacket out to him wearing a sideways grin and for the second time tonight he found himself wanting to kiss her. He didn't have any business thinking it, he felt lucky enough she'd obviously decided they could be friends again. He'd probably get slapped if he tried it anything, not that he wouldn't deserve it. He pushed the thoughts away quickly, swallowed hard and reached out to grab his jacket. When he grabbed it she surprised him and threw one of her arms around him.

"Maybe I'll see you sometime later this week." She said with her lips pressed closely to his ear.

"I've got a feeling you will." He said as a grin swept over his face.

She pulled apart from their embrace. "Goodnight, Daryl."

"Night."

()()()

"Did you win me something?" Merle joked as his baby brother entered their house late Saturday evening.

Daryl plopped down on the couch beside him. "Yeah, a big pink teddy bear." He said rolling his eyes.

"Well, where is it then?" Merle said looking around "Or did ya give it to your girlfriend?"

"Shut up. She ain't my girlfriend."

Merle shrugged. "Maybe she woulda been if you hadn't of tucked tail and ran. Who knows, maybe you'd be married now." He said as he sipped his beer.

"She was drunk and it just happened. It wasn't like that for her." He said leaning his head back all the way against the couch. "What was I supposed to do, be there when she woke up and realized how much she regretted it?" He said harshly

 _***Flashback***_

 _Daryl tossed and turned in bed. He could feel someone laying next time him and he peeped his eyes open to see Carol. Her head was curled up against his chest. Memories of last night raced to the front of his mind. The kiss they shared downstairs on the dare, the way he kissed her when they got in bed, the way she kissed him back and how they eventually ended up sleeping together. He looked down and noticed he was still shirtless and he pulled the covers back a bit to reveal she was just as naked as he was. His heart started pounding, but this time not in a good way. She'd been drunk, hell they both had been. What if she woke up and didn't remember what they did? How would be explain that to her. Oh, sorry, I'm supposed to be your best friend, but I totally took advantage of you when you were drunk and took your virginity. Fuck, how could he let that happen? Well, okay, that was a dumb question. How could it not have happened the way they were kissing? Not to mention that he was in love with the girl and been for a while. That didn't matter though, none of it did. She had always said she wanted her first time to be when she was in love and that she wanted it to be special. They'd had many talks about it before, because Andrea had been on her to lose it before she went off to college and Carol kept telling her that she didn't want to just have sex to have sex. She wanted it to mean something. Why the hell hadn't he remembered that last night? Sure, she repeatedly told him that it was okay and she wanted to, but he was sure she was just caught up in the moment and wasn't thinking clearly because of the alcohol. He didn't want her to wake up and be mad at him. He also didn't want her to wake up and tell him it had been a mistake, because for him it hadn't. There was no one else he would have wanted his first time to be with, really there was no one else he wanted to sleep with. He wasn't like Shane or Merle. He couldn't just sleep with someone for the hell of it. He had to trust them, to be comfortable with them, to love them. He didn't regret sleeping with her, but he did regret that circumstances. He hadn't taken her on a date, he hadn't told her how he felt, it had just drunkenly happened. He was more sure than anything that he'd effectively ruined their friendship forever. He had to get out of here. He couldn't be there when she woke up._

 _He slowly slid away from her praying that she didn't wake up. He frantically started scanning the room for his clothes. He found his boxers, his socks then his jeans. He couldn't find his damn shirt anywhere. He lifted the covers gently and that's when he saw part of it sticking out from under her. "Shit." He muttered. Oh well, he'd just have to leave it. He headed for the door and stopped to look back at her for opening it. "I love you and I'm sorry." He whispered before quietly opening the door to slip out. He fell back against the wall for a moment, trying to catch his breath. His chest was tight and he literally thought he could feel his heart breaking. This wasn't what he wanted to do, but he felt like it was what he had to do. He couldn't stand to see the look of disappointment in her eyes when she woke._

 _He tip toed down the stairs, careful not to make the slightest noise. He didn't want anyone waking up and asking questions or anyone seeing him without his shirt. He made his way into the living room and saw Merle passed out in the recliner. Michonne was on one couch and T-Dog on another. He needed to wake Merle up, but he had to be quiet about it. "Melre." He whispered as he bent down to his ear. "Merle." Still nothing. He shoved him a little and Merle's eyes batted open. He was about yell, but Daryl caught his mouth and clasped his hand over it." Shhh." He motioned to him and removed his hand._

" _What the hell's wrong with you?" Merle whispered. "And where's your shirt?"_

" _I, uh, I threw up on it." He lied as he brought his thumb up to his mouth and chewed on the edge of his cutical._

" _That what you came down here and woke me up for?" "To cry to me about puking?" "Go wake up the girl you have that screwed up sexless relationship with and cry to her. She'll care, I don't." Merle snapped as he went to lay back down._

 _Daryl pulled him up. "We gotta go." He said quickly._

" _Why?" He asked genuinely curious now, his brother was clearly upset about something._

" _Because…..the weather's gonna get bad later…..We need to leave earlier than we planned."_

" _How the fuck would you know that?"_

" _I was watching TV upstairs."_

 _Merle eyed him suspiciously again. "Ain't you gonna tell everyone bye."_

" _I'll call them from our hotel. Now come on, let's go."_

" _What about Carol?"_

" _What about her?" He squeaked_

" _You're not even gonna tell her bye?"_

" _I already did in person. We slept together last night….I mean in the bed together."_

" _No shit Sherlock. You ain't got the balls to fuck her, even though we both know you want to. Hell, pretty sure even she knows after that kiss last night."_

" _Are you fucking coming or not?" Daryl snapped. "I told you, there's a storm coming and we need to go now."_

 _()()()_

 _Daryl had somehow gotten lucky. Merle had gotten up and followed him home. The two finished packing, said their goodbyes to their old man, got something to eat and hit the road. Merle had given Daryl a map and told him that he had to drive since he had woken him up way too fucking early. It was an 8 hour drive. One he spent mostly in silence because Merle's hungover ass refused to drive and slept most of the way aside from occasionally waking up to stop and piss. Each time he'd wake up he'd ask if they'd ran into that storm yet. Daryl would just say not yet. He wasn't sure why his brother had bought the story so easily, maybe it was because he hardly ever lied to his brother. Not that he was ever good at lying to anyone anyway. He guessed when you wanted to cover your own ass it just came easier. The entire way there he had thought about Carol. How much she was probably hurting right now. How much_ _she probably regretted things, how much she had to hate him right now. He wasn't stupid. He knew leaving without a word was a dick move. He knew that he should have stayed and faced it. But he was being selfish, he was thinking about his feeling, trying to protect his heart and his ego. Even by some miracle if she did actually have feelings for him too, what would it matte? He was 8 hours away now, once she moved to Savannah in two weeks then they'd be eleven hours apart. It's not like they could be together. She'd meet someone down there. She was smart, she was beautiful, and she was going places. Some college guy down there who could offer her everything was going to meet her and give her things he couldn't. They'd be someone he couldn't. He wasn't going to college, he wasn't smart and he'd never be anyone or anything. Just like his dad had always told him. He just convinced himself it was better this way._

 _He and Merle arrived at the hotel before dark and Merle immediately went for a shower. The two of them were going to stay in a hotel a few weeks and then try and find an apartment. They started their new jobs tomorrow and would save all of their first few paychecks they could for a place. Merle came out of the shower and had a funny look on his face._

" _It's been awfully sunny every time I've been awake today." "Where's that storm of yours?"_

 _Daryl shrugged. "Maybe the weather guy was wrong."_

 _Merle nodded, but when he looked up he saw something he hadn't paid attention to before now that they were in a well-lit room. "The fuck's on your neck?" He growled_

 _Daryl grabbed at the side of his neck, remembering the way Carol was kissing and sucking on it last night. "Nothing." He replied quickly._

 _Merle was only wearing a pair of boxers, but darted towards his younger brother. Daryl tried backing away, but Merle slammed him hard and pinned him to the bed. "Let me see it, you little shit."_

" _I told you, it ain't nothing." He hissed._

 _Merle used his knees to pin his brother down and snatched his hands away. He was a lot more muscular than him at this point due to his stint in the army. His jaw dropped when he saw several hickey's line his baby brother's neck. "You didn't… " He gasped._

 _Daryl looked away from him, unable to look him in the eye._

" _Is that why you wanted to leave so damn bad." He screamed_

 _Daryl wouldn't answer him, he just kept his gaze trained on the wall._

" _You just fucked her and left without a word?" "You asshole!" "That's what you do to some random bitch from the bar. Not someone you love. Not her. She ain't that kinda girl."_

" _Don't you think I know that?" The younger boy snapped. "She was drunk and I shouldn't have let it happen. I couldn't look her in the eye after that."_

" _Get your ass in that car. We're going back."_

" _No."_

" _Get in the damn car!"_

" _I said no." Daryl said shoving him off of him._

" _I'm about to kick your ass boy." Merle warned. "You love that little girl and you don't treat people you love that way. She don't deserve that"_

" _I fucking can't." "Okay?" "I do love her, but it don't matter. She don't love me and even if she did we're thousands of miles away and it don't matter. She deserves better than me." He yelled as his voice cracked and his eyes filled with tears._

 _Merle shook his head at his younger brother. "You're gonna regret not taking your ass back there one day. You can't undo this."_

 _()()()_

Merle sighed. "I ain't got no clue what you were supposed to do, but I know ain't a damn day gone by you haven't thought about her. Now she's back and you're back and both of you are dancing around the giant fucking elephant in the room pretending a damn thing ain't happened. You didn't have the balls to tell her how you felt back then and you don't now. Mark my words though, you want her and she wants you. You keep spending time with her like that and you're gonna end up fucking again.

Daryl went to protest, but Merle stopped him.

"I ain't done talking dammit." His older brother snapped. "And don't even try to lie and say you wouldn't if she tried it. You and I both know you would. She put it to you so fucking good you don't even wanna touch another bitch….."Shit it makes me wanna hit it." He snorted."…."Now you listen to me and you listen to me good." Merle warned getting in his brother's face. "You pull some shady shit like that next time it happens, you hurt that little girl again, and I'll kick your teeth in. I don't give a damn if you're my blood."


	16. Chapter 16

**(What can I say? Merle has a soft spot for her. I know this is going so slow right now. I keep planning a time jump, but end up with other things I want to put in before I get to that. There's a chapter I have all mapped out in my head that a large part of me wants to skip ahead to, but it wouldn't be fair to the story in the long run. I think I like writing this so much because with the flashbacks I kind of get to tell two stories in one. Here's the next one, glad you guys liked the last one so much.)\**

"So how much money did Daryl have to waste to win that for you?" Rick laughed when Carol walked in the house with the frog.

"How do you know I didn't win it for myself?" She said stopping in place.

"Because I know Daryl." He replied.

She rolled her eyes. "He got it on his first try, but only because it wasn't ring toss." She laughed and moved to sit down beside Rick. "Lori asleep?" She asked.

"Yeah. She was out when I got home from work. I'm not sleepy yet. Figured I'd come in here and watch some TV for a while."

Carol nodded and snuggled up against the frog. She pulled her feet up to her chest and curled into a ball on the couch. "I'm not sleepy yet either."

"Can I say something without you getting upset?" Rick asked cautiously.

She scooted up so she could meet his eyes. "You gonna lecture me about Daryl too?"

He tilted his head to the side a bit. "I'm not gonna lecture you….I've never tried to take sides between the two of you. I've been friends with you both for a long time. So far, I think I've done a good job of being a good friend to you both."

"You have been." She agreed. "But I get this feeling your about to choose a side…"

"I'm not picking a side. I just really think you need to talk to him."

"I've been talking to him, Rick."

"I mean really talk to him. You both need to talk about what happened. You need to tell him why you moved back too."

She shook her head. "I don't want to." She said in a childlike voice.

"Not talking about things doesn't change that they happened." He tried to reason.

"Talking about them doesn't fix them either. He said he wanted us to start over and that's what I'm doing." She said harsher than she meant to. She noticed the way Rick's demeanor changed with her tone. "Sorry. I didn't mean to get snappy."

"I'm not trying to get in your business, I'm just trying to help. I want you two to be okay again, I really do. I just think the best way to do that is to clear the air once and for all."

"I want us to be okay again too, and we're getting there. If we talk about it then we're not gonna be okay. I can't let myself go there. I can't let myself feel it." She said, as her voice cracked.

Rick reached out to her and pulled her up to him where her head could rest on his shoulder. "I didn't mean to make you cry."

"I'm not crying." She replied as she swallowed and pushed back the tears that were trying to force their way through.

He sat there with her silently a moment before speaking again. "Will you at least tell him about Ed?"

She shook her head. "Rick, if I tell him about Ed he'll drive to Savannah and kill him." She said seriously.

***Flashback***

 _Carol was in 9_ _th_ _grade walking to her locker from literature class. Lori came up beside her and the two started talking. Suddenly she felt someone grab her ass. She turned around to see who the hell had just done that and was prepared to slap the hell out of them. Before she could react she saw Daryl come out of nowhere grab the guy and slam him up against the locker. The guy who had grabbed her ass hit his head on the back of the lockers hard._

" _What the hell do you think you're doing?" Daryl hissed._

" _Get the fuck off me, Dixon." The guy said as Daryl had him pinned up against the locker_

" _Keep your damn hands to yourself next time." He warned and was about to let go._

" _Hey man, she's got a cute ass. I just wanted a little feel." He said smirking smugly._

 _The older boy had clearly said the wrong thing, because next thing Carol knew Daryl had punched him square in the face. "I best not ever see you do that shit again." Daryl said glaring at the other boy as he hit the ground and grabbed his face._

" _You alright?" He asked as he looked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. When he did the angry gruff tone he had been speaking to the guy that grabbed her ass in was replaced with a sweet, soft one._

 _***End of Flashback***_

"Someone is going to end up saying something to him about it. You need to be there when he finds out because you're the only one who's going to be able to reason with him….." Rick said trailing off.

Carol noticed it looked like he wanted to say more, but had stopped himself. "What else were you gonna say?" She asked curiously.

"Nothing." He replied cooly.

"Rick Grimes, spill it."

He started rubbing his temples and sighed. "He's gonna be mad as hell the man put his hands on you, no doubt about that. I just also think…..well…I think he's not gonna handle that you were ever engaged so well."

Her eyebrows shot up and her voice became higher. "Why would you think that?"

"Just a feeling I got." Rick said dismissively. "Just talk to the man, Carol."

()()()

Sunday Daryl had gone to Glenn's to let him put some antivirus software on the lap top they were using as their main computer at the shop. He wanted it to be extra secure so their business credit card information didn't land in the wrong hands. He'd left the house without saying a word to Merle and had taken his truck without asking. Merle's words to him last night had his head all fucked up today. He was just trying to be friends with her again and here Merle was saying they were gonna end up in bed together. He didn't know why he thought that anyway. Sure, Daryl wanted her, but he wasn't going to overstep his boundaries and trying anything after what he did to her. Surely she wouldn't try anything with him after the way he'd hurt her.

"Brought the lap top." Daryl said as Glenn opened the door for him.

"Okay cool. We'll go upstairs to the loft and I'll put that software on for you." Glenn said.

Daryl followed him up the stairs and crawled on the couch as Glenn went to work on the computer. He laid there silently.

"You alright?" Glenn asked after a while.

"I'm fine."

"You haven't said hardly anything since you got here." Glenn pointed out.

"I'm good man."

"Cut the shit." "How long have I known you?"

 _***Flashback***_

 _Daryl was sitting in his six grade math class on the first day of middle school. He didn't know anyone in his class. In fact, he didn't know anyone in most of his classes. There were three elementary schools in King County and they were districted by where you lived. Once you got to middle school all three of the elementary schools were combined. The only friends he'd had at his elementary school had been Carol and Rick. He felt nervous about not knowing anyone in this class in particular because math had always been really hard for him. He'd had Carol and Rick there the last few years to help him out. Now he was going to be screwed to fend for himself in this class. He hated meeting new people and was never good at talking to them. He always felt nervous in front them. He scanned the class one good time, trying to find the least threatening person he could. His eyes landed on a small Asian boy. He was skinny and probably six inches shorter than Daryl. He walked over and took a seat behind him. He really didn't wanna talk to him, but he didn't wanna fail this class either. His old man would beat the fuck out of him if he did. He swallowed hard._

" _Hey kid, you any good at math?" Daryl whispered as he leaned up in his desk a bit. "You gotta be, right?" "I mean, you're Chinese and all."_

 _The Asian boy turned around and scowled. "I'm Korean."_

" _Whatever." He muttered. "Are you good at math or not?"_

" _Yeah. I am."_

" _Good, I'm gonna need your help in this class."_

" _Why should I help you?" He replied annoyed._

 _Daryl looked towards the back of the class and noticed a group of taller boys who he had seen messing with the Asian kid earlier. "You see those kids back there, I saw em messing with you earlier. They took your hat."_

" _So." He replied sheepishly._

" _You help me and I'll make sure no one fucks with you and I'll get your hat back."_

 _The other boy's jaw dropped at the word that had just came out of Daryl's mouth. "What makes you think they won't just beat you up?" He questioned_

" _They ain't gonna mess with me. I'm a Dixon. People don't fuck with us."_

" _So you just go beating people up all the time."_

" _No. I got an olderr brother. He's got a reputation. He's been to juvie a few times." He shrugged. "Look, do we gotta a deal or not?" Daryl asked getting annoyed._

 _He looked back at the older kids and saw one of them wearing his ball cap. "If you get my hat back, we've got a deal." He said. "I'm Glenn."_

" _Daryl."_

 _***End of Flashback***_

"Since I started saving your ass back in sixth grade." Daryl said with a laugh.

"Hey, I saved you ass too. You never would have passed that class without me." Glenn reminded him.

"Whatever." Daryl mumbled.

"Anyway." Glenn said getting back on topic. "I know you well enough to know when something's up with you." "So what is it?"

"You trying to be Dr. Phil over here?"

Glenn rolled his eyes. "Just tell me what's up with you or I'm not gonna put this shit on your computer."

Daryl sighed. "Is Maggie here?" He asked looking around.

"No, she's at work." "Now what is it?" Glenn asked growing impatient.

Daryl shifted around on the couch and started shaking his leg and took a deep breath. "Do you think Carol wants to sleep with me?"

Glenn's eyes got wide and a hint of frustration swept over his face. "What the fuck's wrong with you?" "After what happened how can you even think about doing something like that?"

"I ain't asking because I wanna try anything, jackass. Stop yelling at me before you even know the whole damn story."

"Why would you wanna know then?"

"Because Merle said he thinks we're gonna end up fooling around again." He said running a hand through his hair. "He said she wants me and I want her and if we keep hanging out it's gonna happen."

"You two have history…..I mean…..I can see why he thinks that…." Glenn hesitantly agreed.

"So you think so too?"

Glenn sighed. "I didn't say that….I just said it's plausible to think that….but no matter what you don't need to let it happen. Not even if she tries something. You guys are just starting to rebuild your friendship and it would only complicate things more.

"I know." He said as he sighed and hung his head. "I don't wanna hurt her again. I hate that I ever hurt her to begin with."

"I know." Glenn said sympathetically. "She missed you and she's glad you're back. Just do what you've been doing and be her friend again. Stop over-thinking all of this and just be there for her like you always were before."


	17. Chapter 17

**(I'm writing another chapter tonight. It's two in the freaking morning, I just binge watched 5 hours of Orange is the New Black, which is actually a decent show by the way, and I have to be up in 4 hours so there's really no point in sleeping at all now. Things are finally going to start moving a little faster now…I think. Anyway thanks for reading and reviewing and enjoy!)**

It had been a little over a month now since Carol had moved back home and started her new life. One that she had no idea when she moved back home would include her childhood best friend. However, during the past month the two of them had reconnected and it had been wonderful. He'd meet her for lunch at work sometimes during the week, she'd drop by his and Merle's shop on her days off, he'd come hang out at Rick and Lori's, or they'd do things with the group. Rebuilding the friendship had been easy so far, almost too easy really. Of course that might have something to do with the fact that she'd gone out of her way to avoid any mention of what happened between them in the past. Daryl hadn't tried to bring it up either, not since the first night they reconnected and she told him she didn't want to hear. He seemed happy enough letting what happened stay in the past and she was too. Despite warnings from Rick and a few other friends that she needed to talk with him about, she was going to prolong it as long as possible. Just like she was going to prolong any mention of her abusive ex-fiancee'. She just didn't seen any good coming from that conversation. Daryl would flip out. There was no question about it. She didn't see the good in him doing something stupid over something that was already over and done with. She'd told all of her friends not to mention anything and they'd all agreed it was her business to tell, not theirs. Although Glenn wasn't too keen on the idea of keeping secrets. He didn't like lying and he wasn't good at it. Sure, a part of her felt bad for keeping something like that from him, but she just kept reminding herself it was for the best.

She was currently sitting in her room at Rick and Lori's folding and putting away clothes. It was Saturday afternoon in late October, but she didn't have anything else to do. She was off work and Rick and Lori had gone out to eat. Between Rick's shifts working for the police force, Lori running the café and Carol living with them it was rare for the couple to find a minute alone together. Even though they had invited her out today, she declined. She thought that they needed some time alone. She was about to put some scrubs away in her dresser when she heard the roar of an engine approaching. It wasn't loud enough to be Daryl's motorcycle, but it wasn't a car either. She heard whatever it was pull up in her driveway and walked to the front of the house to check it out. To her surprise, Daryl was outside on a four-wheeler.

"Where did you get that?" She asked as she opened the door before he had a chance to knock.

"Some guy came in yesterday. Wrecked his car and insurance wouldn't cover it. He didn't have the money to fix it and wanted to know if we'd do a trade."

"How'd you talk Merle into agreeing to that?"

"Talk him into it?" Daryl laughed. "He said yes before I even had the chance to throw my two cents in."

"It's pretty nice." She said as she walked up and circled it. It looked to be in almost new condition. No visible scratches and no mud. "I'm sure it won't stay this way for long once Merle has a chance to break it in though." She said with a grin.

He nodded in agreement. "You wanna go for ride?"

"Depends." "Do I get to drive?" She asked playfully.

"Maybe on the way back." He said shooting her a small smile. "Come on."

The two of them took off on the four-wheeler. At first he was driving on the side of the road, but he quickly took a detour down a strip of powerlines. She started to recognize the trails that they used to ride as teenagers. He veered off of the clear trails of the powerlines down a wooded path.

"Are you going to the blue hole?" She asked loudly as she leaned in close to his ear so he could hear her over the engine.

"Haven't been out there in a while. Figured I'd see if it was still there." He replied.

The blue hole was actually a pond that they used to sneak off to when they were younger. It had clay in the bottom of it which made the water have a blue tint to it instead of being brown and murky like most ponds. They used to swim and fish there, although they weren't really supposed to. It was on private property. The land belonged to one of the local manufacturing plants and it was used by the higher ups as a place for hunting and fishing. Carol's dad had actually worked for the company back then and he had a pass to go out there. There weren't any houses nearby and it was pretty rare that people actually went out there, or it was rare that they had been caught out there anyway.

As they made their way down a wooded trail they quickly found that it wasn't as easy to navigate. A lot of trees had fallen down over the years and blocked off the normal trail. They had to take a few detours and make their own trail in the woods. Daryl even had to drive through a pretty high stream. The back tires had caught a little going up the bank of the stream and had slung mud everywhere.

"So much for it being clean." He said once they made it up.

"Merle's gonna kill you." She laughed. "And so am I, you got mud all over me."

He finally made it to the end of the trail and the blue hole came into view. He pulled the four-wheeler up to the edge of the pond, placed it in first gear, and switched it off. He climbed off first and she followed. "Rope's still here." He said.

She looked up and saw a slender brown rope hanging from the tree. One they used to use to jump in the pond with. There was an embankment on this end of the pond that it made it a good spot to swing from. "I can't believe we used to swim in that." She said looking down into the water

His face squished up and he shot her a funny look. "You wouldn't swim in it no more?"

She looked at the once blue water that now had more of a sea green color to it. "Um no."

"Come on, you can't be serious."

"I'm dead serious. The water looks gross and I always hated the moss at the bottom. It made me feel like something was gonna reach up and grab me."

His face fell a little bit. "So if I got in you wouldn't get in?"

"No." She said matter of factly and crossed her arms. "Besides, it's the end of October."

"It's been 90 degrees almost the whole damn month. It hasn't gotten below 75 once during the day."

"I'm not swimming in that." She told him again.

"Alright." He said with a shrug as he kicked his shoes off.

"What are you doing?" She asked as she watched him pull his socks off next.

"Going swimming."

"You are not." She scoffed

"Yes I am." He told her resolutely as he peeled his shirt off.

She stood there starting at him like an idiot. Halfway because couldn't believe he wanted to go swimming right now and halfway because he was now standing in front of her very shirtless and she couldn't help but look.

"What?" He said noticing how she was looking at him.

"You're seriously going to do this?" She managed to say.

"How many times do I have to say it before you believe me?" He said as he went for the top button of his pants.

She stood there in complete silence as she watched him slide his pants off. Sure, he was wearing boxers, but damn. She found herself very surprised that he was practically naked in front of her right now. I mean, yes, they'd ended up out here before when they were younger and they'd gone swimming in their underwear. But that was different, that was before anything had happened between them that would make this awkward as hell. Of course, he had slept shirtless next to her the entire night at Maggie and Glenn's when she slept in his tank top. She shouldn't be making such a big deal of this right now. "So much for modesty." She joked.

"We're kinda past that ain't we?" He met her eyes when he said it, then he immediately turned red and looked away, even though he'd been the one that brought it up.

"Yeah, I guess we are." She agreed and exhaled. She took a deep breath and kicked her shoes off too.

"What are you doing?" He looked up and asked when he heard the shoes hit the ground.

"Going swimming." She replied as she went for to pull her shirt off.

This time he was the one that was left staring. He couldn't help it, she was in front of him wearing only a bra right now and he hadn't seen this much of her in a long time. He hadn't seen this much of a woman period on a long time. She hadn't looked up yet, thankfully, so she didn't notice as he continued to watch her as she slid her jeans off. She was wearing a pair of pink boy shorts that matched her bra. Maybe this hadn't been his best, most well thought out idea. He was only in his boxers right now, and even though they were baggy they weren't going to hide much for long if he kept looking at her like that. He swallowed hard and walked towards the rope. He gripped it in his head, took a few steps back and got a running start and darted towards the water.

She had been placing her clothes on the four-wheeler when she saw him grab the rope and take off running. She heard him hit the water and ran to the edge of the embankment to see him. "How's is it?"

"Feels good. Get in." He told her as he waded back and forth.

She grabbed the rope like he had and moved back to get a running start. She was swinging out over the water and saw him looking up at her waiting to drop. She regretted letting go of the rope as soon as her hands were no longer around it. As soon as she hit the water she felt the chill rush down her spine. She pushed herself to the top and sucked in a deep breath of air. "Liar, it's cold." She said as she reached the surface. She was looking for Daryl, but he didn't see him anywhere. She was wading back and forth and was about to call out for him when she brushed something with her feet. "Shit." She mumbled and snatched her feet up quickly. Suddenly she felt a tug and was swept under the water. She kicked and thrashed and pulled herself back up to the top. She could see Daryl beside her now, laughing. "Not funny, asshole." She said and dunked him under water.

The two of them swam around in the water a bit before getting out. Circling around the pond and talking about all of their memories out here. She reminded him of the time he and Merle camped out here with some of Merle's buddies and Merle got him drunk for the first time. He'd probably been 14 and they had stolen some of their dad's homemade wine and moonshine. Merle was about to leave for the army and wanted to be sure he was the first one his little brother ever got drunk with. He'd called her the next day to tell her how horrible being hung over was and how he was never drinking again. After reminiscing some more they finally they got out of the pond and decided to head back.

"Ride home's gonna suck." He mumbled as he threw his shirt back on.

"This was all your idea." She reminded him.

"Because you were being an uppity city bitch and said you wouldn't swim here no more."

"Don't call me a bitch, dickhead." She replied as she slapped him in the chest.

When she went to pull her hand away he'd grabbed it and twisted it backwards. He was only playing around with her and hadn't meant to get rough. He was about to pull her back towards him when he noticed she'd flinched and had a look on her face like she was bracing herself for him to harm her. He let go of her quickly. "Did I hurt you?" He asked concerned

She composed herself and shook her head. "No, you didn't."

"I was just playing with you. I didn't mean to if I did. I didn't mean you were a bitch either. I was just messing around." He searched her eyes, trying to figure out what the hell had just happened and if he'd done something wrong.

"I know you were and you didn't hurt me. Don't worry about it." She assured him.

"Why'd you tense up then?" He asked her as he folded his arms over his chest. He felt like there was something she wasn't telling him. They always used to play around like that and she'd never reacted that way before.

"I just wasn't expecting that. You caught me off guard…. That's all….. I'm fine."

"Carol.." He said softly, almost pleading for her to tell him what was really wrong.

"I said I'm fine." She replied sternly.

"Alright." He said defeated. Whatever it was she obviously didn't wanna talk about right now and he knew her well enough to know to stop pushing her about it. She'd tell him when she was ready if something was actually wrong.

()()()

He'd driven back to her place. The ride had been a little cool, but not too bad since it was sunny and warm.

"What are you gonna do the rest of the day?" He asked her once they pulled up in the driveway.

"First I'm going to get a shower and put on some dry clothes. Then I'll just do what I was doing before you got here."

"What's that?"

"Laundry." "Exciting right?" She chuckled

"You could just ride back to the house and hang out." He suggested. "You still haven't been out there yet."

"You don't have anything to do today?"

He shrugged. "I'd just be hanging out in the woods by myself if you didn't come over or I'd go fuck around at the shop. I can do that tomorrow."

()()()

She'd gotten a shower and agreed to go back to his place. It beat sitting home alone for most of the day. She was surprised at how small the house was when they got there.

"This makes Rick and Lori's place look huge." She said as she followed him up the stairway to the door.

"It's compact, but you can't beat the view we got out here." He told her as he looked out to the creek and the woods surrounding them.

Once they got inside she noticed there was an upstairs and a downstairs. The downstairs only consisted of a kitchen and a living room. The living room was so small there was only a couch, a coffee table and a TV. The kitchen didn't have a table, just a small bar. A narrow stair case situated between the two rooms led to the next level. It was nice inside though and clean. She was actually impressed with how clean it was since it was just the two of them living here.

"You wanna see the rest of the place?" He asked her as he grabbed a water out of the fridge and held one out for her.

"Sure." She replied as she followed him up the stair case.

"This one's mine." He said pointing to the bedroom on the right once they reached the top.

She looked it over. There was a queen sized bed that was huge in comparison to the twin she knew he'd always had at his dad's place. It was neatly made and the room was well put together. He had a crossbow sitting in the corner of the room leaning against the wall. "When did you become such a neat freak?" She asked curiously. Or is everything hidden under your bed where you always used to stash the mess."

"When we first got our place in Virginia it stayed trashed all the time from all the partying and stuff. It was disgusting. I ain't ever living like that again. Besides, I'm paying to live here, I might was well take care of it."

"Aren't you all grown up and mature." She said with a smile.

"Shut up." He said rolling his eyes as he walked in his room. "I'm gonna put some dry clothes on real quick." He said and slid the door shut. It was barely a minute before he came back out and opened the door for her. "You wanna watch something?" He asked as reached for the remote, turned the TV on and dropped down on his bed.

"Sure." She said as she slid in bed beside him.

The two of them laid in silence for a while and watched The Hangover.

"God, I love your bed." She said breaking the silence. "That one at Rick and Lori's is so hard. The best sleep I've gotten since moving home was the night I stayed at Maggie's."

"I'm sure that had nothing to do with how drunk you were." He snorted.

"Shut up." She replied and turned a little red. "So, I'm gonna need you to go stay with Rick and Lori until I get my own place and I'll just stay here." She laughed.

"Not a chance. I ain't giving this place up and sleeping in that rickety ass bed. Besides, you don't wanna live with Merle. He'd just try to get in your pants all the time."

"I could deal with that if it meant I could have this bed. I can handle Merle."

He just shook his head. "Have you found any places you like yet?"

"Not yet. To be honest, I haven't looked much. I'm not looking forward to living alone."

"Did you live alone in Savannah?" He asked as he rolled over to face her. He was genuinely curious to know, because she still hadn't really told him anything about her life down there.

She froze for a minute thinking about how to answer that question. She could just tell him about the people she lived with during college and leave Ed out, but that would be lying and she didn't want to outright lie to him. She twiddled her fingers back and forth over her belly. "Well, in college I had three other roommates in my dorm. Tara, Rosita and Sasha. We all ended up liking each other so much we got a place off campus after the first year so we could stay together. They were really the only people I would hang around down there. I mean…..I wasn't close with them like I was our group, but they were good friends…..good people. They weren't from Savannah though, so they moved back home after graduation.

"What about after they moved?" "Did you just stay alone then or room with somebody from the hospital you worked with?"

She took a deep breath and fully prepared herself to tell him the story of how she met Ed, how they ended up engaged, and how that engagement ended and led to her moving back home.

"Hey Darlina, where the hell you at?" they heard Merle yell before she could get the words out.

"I'm upstairs." Daryl called out and then they heard Merle stomping up the stairs.

"Where the hell did you take the four-wheeler?" He asked as he pulled the door open. He was surpised to see Carol lying in bed with his brother. "Oh, hey darling. I didn't know you were here."

"Hey Merle." She said with a smile. She was pretty sure she hadn't ever been happier to see him than she was right now.

"I went and got her on the four-wheeler and we to the blue hole. She came back here to hang out for a while." Daryl told him. "Where have you been anyway?"

"Went and met up with Andrea for a quickie." He said smugly. "Women can never have a Dixon just once."

Both Daryl and Carol averted their eyes far away from him and each other. The room was growing tense and uncomfortable and Merle quickly realized what he'd just said and decided to change the subject. "You staying for dinner?" He asked Carol.

"What are we having?" She asked, scooting herself up into a sitting position.

"Whatever you wanna cook." Merle snorted.


	18. Chapter 18

**(This is short, but it serves a purpose. Don't worry Daryl's gonna find out about her past soon, really soon. Like they say, third time's the charm…or something like that. Thanks for reading & reviewing.)**

Carol decided that she'd stay and cook the guy's dinner that night. She actually enjoyed cooking and rarely did it herself anymore since moving back home. Lori would often bring food home from the diner or she'd eat at the hospital. She was looking forward to making a home cooked meal of her own to enjoy. Daryl and Merle didn't have much to choose from in the kitchen, so she said she'd go to the store and pick something up. Daryl had volunteered to go with her and Merle had even sent some money along to let her pick the food out. She'd decided to cook peppered shrimp Alfredo and had even picked out some other things for them to keep around the house that could be used to put together a quick meal. She'd told them that she didn't mind coming by and cooking for them sometimes.

"You ain't gotta do that." Daryl had told her.

"Like hell she don't." Merle argued. "Shut your mouth, baby boy. We ain't ate this good in a long time."

"Stop acting like you don't know to cook dumbass. We all saw you make eggs at Glenn and Maggie's."

She'd just stood there shaking her head and laughing at them. She'd always enjoyed seeing the two of them go back and forth. After they had eaten the three of them had gone on a walk through the woods. Merle wanted to go set up some deer cameras and Carol really just wanted to look around. She hadn't been out in the woods in a long time and had enjoyed going out there with Daryl when they were younger. Daylight savings time hadn't quite kicked in yet, so they stayed out there until around 8 when it was finally getting dark. When they got back to their house they had a call about some guy who'd wrecked his car and needed it to be towed.

"You want me to get it?" Merle asked him. "No need for both of us to go."

"Don't matter to me." He shrugged.

"I got it then." He replied. "You want me to drop you by your house?" He said looking over to Carol.

"I think I'll hang out a little while longer…if that's okay with you." She said as she slid her eyes over to Daryl.

"It's fine with me. I'll take her home in a bit."

()()()

The two of them had headed back up to his room and she started fiddling through his DVD collection until she'd found a box set of the TV series Weeds.

"I lived off of this in college." She recollected with a smile. "I used to binge watch it instead of writing my term papers."

"You can put it on if you want." He told her and nodded towards his DVD player. "Been a while since I watched it myself."

The two of them crawled in bed and started on the first season. One episode quickly turned into three and Daryl could feel his eyelids getting heavy. He looked over to where she was laying and saw her nodding off. "Hey, you ready for me to take you home?" He asked nudging her gently.

"After this episode." She mumbled.

"You ain't even got your eyes open." He sleepily laughed.

"I'm listening to it."

"Then what just happened?" He asked assuming she didn't have a clue what was going on.

"Celia just found Isabella's chocolate stash and replaced it with laxatives." She mumbled again. "I told you, I'm listening."

()()()

Merle had stayed at the shop a long time bullshitting with the guy's car that he had to tow. The man had been using the shop for years when Dale ran it and actually remembered Merle working there when he was a teenager. Merle always loved to talk about himself, so he filled him in on his army stint and his time in Virginia. The guy had been an eager listener and the two ended up walking to the bar and grabbing a beer. When he finally got home that night it was around 12:00 a.m. He'd figured that Daryl had taken Carol home and gone to bed. As he walked up the stairs he noticed his brother's room door was open and the TV was flickering. He peeked in to see if he was still awake. His little brother was knocked out cold, but he wasn't alone. Carol was right there beside him and he was curled up into her. From what he could tell they both had their clothes on still. He stepped inside and switched the TV off. He shook his head and walked back downstairs to grab some leftovers. While he was heating them up he heard a phone ringing. It was Daryl's and it was sitting on the coffee table. He picked it up and saw it was Rick calling. He answered it because he knew he had to be looking for Carol.

"What's going on officer?"

"Merle?" Rick asked from the other end of the line sounding slightly confused.

"The one and only."

"I wasn't expecting you to answer Daryl's phone. Is he around?"

"He's asleep."

"Oh." Rick replied in a concerned tone. "I was just looking for Carol. I tried calling her phone a few times, but it's dead. She was gone when we got back this evening and we didn't know where she was. I told Lori she was probably just with Daryl, but now I'm worried."

"Don't be. She's here. Been here all afternoon."

"Oh…Can I talk to her?"

"You could….but she's asleep upstairs with Daryl."

"What?" "Why are they both upstairs asleep?"

"Hell, I don't know. I went to tow a car and when I came back the two of them were passed out upstairs."

"What the hell Merle?"

"Relax, officer. They were both fully clothed. Don't look like no funny business took place, although I haven't had time to conduct a thorough investigation yet." He laughed.

Rick sighed into the phone. "I can come out there and get her in a few minutes."

"She gotta work tomorrow?" Merle asked.

"No..."

"Then leave her be. For all I know she wanted to stay here tonight."

"You really think that's a good idea?"

"Better idea than coming to drag a grown ass woman out of bed she might wanna be in."

()()()

Carol sat up in bed the next morning and started rubbing her eyes. She realized that both of them must have fallen asleep watching Weeds. She hadn't told Lori and Rick she wasn't going home last night and wondered if they were freaking out right now. She picked up her phone to see if they'd tried to call, but it was dead. Now she was pretty much certain they were freaking out. She took a deep breath and stretched out in the bed. It wasn't lost on her that Daryl wasn't in there with her. Judging by the amount of sunlight coming in the window she was pretty sure he'd gone to work. She found herself wondering how she was gonna get home since her phone was dead and he and Merle were gone. She went to get out of bed and saw a note on the nightstand beside her. She picked it up and began to read it. " _I had to go work, didn't wanna wake you since you looked like you were sleeping so good. I left my phone downstairs for you. Call me whenever you want a ride home and I'll come get you or you can take the four-wheeler if you want. There's sausage biscuits in the freezer if you're hungry. Oh, and Merle said Rick called here looking for you last night. Don't worry, they know you're alive."_ She smiled after finishing the note. She thought it was really sweet that he'd left his phone for her and had let her sleep in and was willing to come drive her home. In fact, ever since they'd reconnected he'd been really sweet. Not that he hadn't always had a soft spot when it came to her. She let herself fall back in bed and pulled the covers over her head. Covers that smelled just like him in this soft, comfortable bed that smelled just like him that she had slept in all last night with him. The realization that she'd slept extremely well in his bed last night wasn't lost on her. In fact, she slept just good as she'd slept at Maggie's that night a month ago. She was starting to think that maybe the reason she had gotten such good sleep both nights didn't have as much to do with the beds as it did the man she had shared the beds with.

 **(Holy shit. I just realized I've been writing a whole lot of Merle.)**


	19. Chapter 19

**(I really contemplated adding more flashback/filler chapters before I wrote this. I may regret that later, because this is a chapter that really sets big things up.)**

It was the night before Thanksgiving and Carol had just gotten home from work. Lori and Rick had left earlier in the day to go spend the night at Lori's grandparents so they could have lunch with her family the next day. That afternoon they were going to eat with Rick's family, so they wouldn't be home until late that night. Carol's parents were supposed to be coming up in their RV tomorrow morning and they were going to stay until Sunday night. Lori and Rick had told her that she could use the house to cook Thanksgiving dinner for them if she wanted. She had been so excited about it too. She hadn't seen her parents in well over six months. Plus, ever since they had sold the house and bought the RV she hadn't had a traditional Thanksgiving with them. They'd usually just drive to Savannah and they'd have lunch together somewhere in town. Lori and Rick's house might not have been her childhood home, but she was going to be having Thanksgiving dinner with her family in her hometown and that was close enough. She'd also invited Daryl and Merle to come eat with them. She knew their dad had never really done anything for Thanksgiving. When they were younger she used to take them plates from her grandparent's house after lunch because she knew they wouldn't get any turkey and dressing if she didn't. That's why she found herself in the kitchen on this Wednesday after working a 12 hour shift prepping for tomorrow's meal and she couldn't have been happier about it. She was busy mixing some mashed potatoes when she heard a knock at her door.

"What are you doing here?" She asked curiously when she opened the door and saw Daryl standing there.

"Some guy called broke down on the side of the road. Wanted us to tow his car. I saw all the lights on when I drove by and figured I'd see if you needed any help getting ready for tomorrow." He told her as he nervously shifted back and forth.

"Sure, come in." She said with a smile. "You can finish mixing those mashed potatoes if you want."

He followed her into the kitchen and went to work mixing the mashed potatoes. He noticed her hair was a little wet, so he assumed she hadn't long gotten out of the shower. She was wearing pajamas and a gray t-shirt that was too big for her. The shirt looked familiar to him somehow. It had a black skull on the front of it and it obviously hadn't originally been hers. He kept staring at it and it finally hit him, that it was his shirt. It was the shirt he was wearing the night they'd slept together.

She was busy at the stove seasoning a pot of turnip greens. She had looked back a few times and noticed he kept staring at her. She felt self-conscious about it and assumed it had to do with how ridiculous she must look in the oversized shirt and those baggy pajamas she was in. "I wasn't exactly expecting company. I'd have dressed a little better if I knew you were going to show up." She said with a laugh as she turned around to face him.

He looked down, slightly embarrassed that he'd been caught staring at her. "It's not that….you look fine….it's just….the shirt…I kept trying to remember where I'd seen it before….then I did." He was stammering, stumbling with his words and what he wanted to say.

She looked down at the shirt she was wearing and realization washed over her face. She slept in it all the time and hadn't really thought anything about it when he walked in. "Oh…" She said as she nervously twisted her fingers around the bottom of the shirt.

He stopped stirring the mashed potatoes and let his eyes meet hers. He couldn't believe she'd kept the stupid thing after all those years, let alone that she still wore it. He didn't even know she'd found it the next day and if he'd know she had he would have assumed she'd have burned it out of anger. Not kept it and slept in it. "You kept it." He said, not even trying to hide the emotional edge to his voice. "Why?"

She shrugged and looked away from him. She didn't like the way he was looking at her right now. She didn't like the way his voice sounded. She knew he was smart enough to know she kept it for a reason and she also knew he was smart enough to figure out that reason. She'd been avoiding any emotional talk and any mention of that night very well these past two months, because if it ever came up she knew feelings and frustrations were going to spill out. "It's a comfortable shirt." She mumbled. Still not looking at him, because she knew he could always know by the look in her eyes if she was hiding something from him. "Do you want in back?" She threw in to try and add some lightheartedness to the situation.

He hummed and shook his head. "Nah, I don't think it'll exactly fit anymore….Besides, it looks better on you." He added before looking down and stirring the potatoes again.

She froze in place, her eyes growing wide and head tilting to the side. That was closest thing to a flirty comment she'd ever heard that man say in her entire life. Was he trying to flirt with her? She knew him better than she'd ever known anyone in so many ways. She understood things about him that no one else did and he was the same with her. They could read each other without words most of the time, but when it came to trying to understand his feelings towards her she'd always drawn a blank. He didn't flirt like most guys, he didn't open himself up about his feeling and he didn't show sexual interest in an open outright way. Sure, she eventually learned he was obviously sexually attracted to her (at least back then), but she still hadn't the slightest clue if those feelings had ever extended any deeper for her and she wasn't going to ask. But that comment he'd just made, the way he'd looked at her in that dress the night at Maggie's, and the way she'd noticed he was looking at her out of the corner of her eye when they'd gone swimming together had her wondering if maybe he wanted her, at least in a physical way. She swallowed hard, knowing that even if he, did she shouldn't. No matter how attracted she was to him, she knew her feelings would get in the way in the long run and she'd only get hurt again.

"I think the potatoes are good." He said, breaking her from her deep train of thought.

Her eyes shot over to the bowl he was holding out to her and she took it from him. She was trying to think of what else she needed help with when she heard her phone ringing from her bedroom. "Will you watch the stove?" "I'll be right back."

He watched as she walked through the hallway and disappeared into her bedroom. He bent over the counter and sighed heavily wondering what the hell he was doing. Why had he added the look you better in it part? Sure, it was true, but he'd probably just made an ass of himself and made her feel even more uncomfortable than he had when he brought the damn shirt up to begin with. He wished he knew the right thing to say, the right thing to do. He looked up to make sure the food on the stove wasn't boiling over and that's when he heard something drop followed by a scream. He ran to her bedroom to check on her found her sitting on the bed crying with her head in hands.

"What happened?" "What's wrong?" He said, feeling panic rise in his chest as he came and sat down beside her. He gently placed a hand on her back to try and comfort her even though he had no clue what was going on.

She just turned into him and gripped her arms around his neck tightly. She leaned her head into his shoulder and started sobbing. He wrapped his arms around her and held her as tight as he could, still confused about what had happened. "Tell me what happened, sweetheart." He said as tenderly as he could.

"My dad…..my mom called….and my dad…..he had a…..he had a heart attack…." She managed between sobs. "He's at St. Joseph's in Savannah….but they don't know if…..they don't know if he's gonna make it."

He pulled her closer to him and felt a sob rise in his own throat. Seeing her so upset and knowing there was nothing he could do to fix it broke his heart, plus he understood firsthand the pain of losing a parent. He knew her dad. He was a good man. A hard worker who loved his family and provided for them. The man had never seemed especially crazy about Daryl, but he still respected him and he was Carol's dad. He didn't want anything to happen to him.

She kept her grip on Daryl for what felt like forever, but finally managed to compose herself enough to think clearly. She broke the embrace he was holding her in and started wiping her eyes. "I have to go there…I need to be at the hospital."

He nodded. He fully understood that she needed to be there. He watched as she stood up to pack some clothes in a bag. She was shaking and unsteady and he had no idea how she was going to make a three hour drive like this. "I'll go with you." He volunteered.

"You don't have to do that." She told him as she threw a few more clothes in a bag. "Tomorrow's Thanksgiving…You should be with your brother….I…..I don't even know how long I'll be there."

He stood up and walked over to her and grabbed one of her hands in his. "I'm going with you…I wanna go with you."

She nodded and wrapped her arms around him again. She felt the tears begin to fall down her face once more. "Thank you."

"It's all gonna be alright." He told her softly. "Everything's gonna be okay." He made himself say it, even if he didn't know if it was true. He just silently prayed to himself that things would somehow be okay….for her.

()()()

He put all the food she'd been working on away and made sure everything in the kitchen was off. He hadn't even stopped by his own house to grab clothes for himself. He knew she shouldn't drive and that taking the rollback he'd driven to her house wouldn't be the best idea, so he talked her into letting him drive her car. He wanted to get her there as fast as he could. He'd texted Merle and told him what was going on and the he wasn't sure when he'd be back. The ride down there had been silent. He'd never seen her this way before. Once they reached the interstate he'd dropped the car in sixth gear and done ninety practically the entire way. He didn't know what to say or do, so he'd just reached over and held out his hand for her. She'd held on to it as tight as she could until they reached downtown Savannah and he started having to use it to shift gears again. At this point she'd started navigating for him, because he had no idea where the hell anything was. She said she used to work at this hospital. She mumbled something about the ER team being good and there being a great cardiac unit here. He could hardly tell what she was saying because she had started crying again. He pulled into the hospital parking lot and when they got out of the car she walked over to him. She grabbed his hand in hers and started leading him, because she obviously knew where to go.

Once they entered the hospital she saw some people she knew. She was gripping Daryl's hand tightly and practically dragging him along behind her. He hadn't complained once or told her to slow down. Whenever she'd look back at him she noticed his eyes were intently trained on her. She hadn't missed the looks some staff members were giving her as she pulled him behind her. Ones that knew she'd been engaged to Ed a little over two months ago. She prayed that no one stopped her to ask who the hell this man with her was or to ask about Ed. Daryl, he was the type of person who reacted first and thought later. She couldn't deal with him freaking out about that right now while she had no clue if her dad was going to be okay or not. Luckily, no one stopped them. She made her way to where her mom was in the waiting room. She was still gripping Daryl's hand at this point, but let go and ran to her mother when she saw her.

He looked on awkwardly as he watched her and her mother cling to one another and cry. He wondered if her mother knew what a dick he had been, and how bad he'd hurt her daughter. He suddenly felt ashamed to be there. He folded his arms over his chest and bit at his bottom lip.

()()()

They'd sat in that waiting room for hours. After Carol and her mom had broken their embrace her mom had actually gone up to Daryl and hugged him and thanked him for being with her daughter and driving her down there. Carol was currently sitting in the chair beside him, her head resting on his shoulder and clinging to his arm. The doctors had said her dad a blockage and took him back for surgery. They were just waiting to hear how that had gone. He sat there staring at those white walls and thinking about the night he'd sat in the hospital when his own mom had died. He leaned down and placed a small kiss on Carol's forehead. It was something he'd never done before, but something she'd done many times over the years when he'd run to her house after his dad had beat him up. He had long assumed it was her way of saying I'm here for you and I'm sorry without actually saying it. He wanted to convey that message to her right now, because sometimes there just weren't words and he probably wouldn't say them right if he tried anyway.

Carol looked up at him and offered a weak smile after she felt him press the kiss on her forehead. She suddenly straighten herself up as she noticed a doctor coming towards them and let go of the hold she had on his arm.

"Are you the Pelitier family?" He asked.

She and her mother nodded, both remaining silent and not daring to ask about Carol's dad's condition.

"I'm Dr. Jenner." The man said with a small smile. "Mr. Pelitier had blockage, but we were able to correct it. We did put a stint in, but he's stable at this point. We think he's going to be alright."

"Oh, thank God." Carol's mother cried.

()()()

The staff had allowed them to go back and see her dad for a few minutes, but he was still asleep from surgery. Carol wanted to stay, but her mom insisted that they go get a hotel and get some sleep. She assured her daughter she'd call if anything changed. Daryl had noticed a Day's Inn on the way that was within walking distance. They decided to check it out.

"You still got any rooms?" Daryl asked the hotel attendant. It was late, he was exhausted, she was exhausted. He was really hoping they had something.

"Single or double bed?" The woman asked. She looked slightly annoyed that people were coming in this late.

"I don't care." Daryl said as he ran hand through his hair. "I just wanna sleep."

"We only have single."

"Then why'd you even ask." He grumbled as he slid her his card.

After the woman gave him the cards to their room he grabbed her stuff from the car and carried it inside for her. He kept an arm around her back as they walked to the room. He threw her bag on the floor beside the bed and switched on the light to look around. It wasn't the nicest room, but it'd do. There was a flat screen TV and it looked clean enough. "You want me to take the floor?" He asked

She just shook her head.

He should have known the answer to that question before he even asked. She'd constantly wanted him next to her since they'd left her house. "Let's try to get some sleep." He told her as he peeled the covers back.

She slid in beside him and laid her head on his chest and she felt him wrap one of his arms around her. "Thank you for coming with me…It really means a lot."

"You'd do the same for me."

 **(For anyone who hasn't read my first chapter, I was too lazy and uncreative to make my up my own maiden name up for Carol and her family. Pelitier is the last name I know her by and it's weird for me to think of it being anything else. Just wanted to explain in case anyone was wondering.)**


	20. Chapter 20

**(I'm so glad that you guys liked the last chapter so much. I worked really hard on it. I am writing and updating so much right now, because I start my last semester of school in the morning and I'm going to be really busy starting next week. I wanted to make sure I got to these chapters before I got swamped with real life. Oh, because I don't put this in here enough. I don't own TWD or any characters. I also don't own any places I name in my stories.)**

The sound of the shower woke him the next morning. He looked over at the clock and saw that it was a little past 9. He knew it had been late when they finally got to the hotel. Somewhere between 4 and 5 probably. He had fallen asleep shortly after they got in bed and he hoped that she was able to get a little bit of sleep and hadn't stayed up all night worrying.

A few minutes later she'd come out of the bathroom. She noticed he was awake now, leaning up against the headboard absently staring at the TV. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's fine….Did you get any sleep?"

"A little." She replied.

He took a good look at her. Her eyes weren't red and puffy like they had been last night, but they hard dark circles under them and a look of pure exhaustion was etched on her face. "You alright?" He asked.

She nodded. "I'm gonna go ahead and go to the hospital in a few minutes."

"Give me five minutes to get a shower and I'll be ready." He told her as he let out a yawn and stretched.

"You don't have to come…You can stay here and get some sleep if you want."

"I didn't come down here with you to stay in no hotel….I came to be here for you."

She gave him a small smile and went to grab her toothbrush out of her bag. He watched her as she grabbed it and realized that on top of not having a change of clothes he didn't have a tooth brush or deodorant either.

"Shit." He mumbled.

"What's wrong?"

"I ain't got clean clothes, a toothbrush or deodorant."

She reached into her bag and pulled out her deodorant and tossed it to him. "It smells like coconuts." She said with a smile.

He shook his head, laughed a little and flipped it around in his hand. "Guess it's gonna have to do."

"There's a store across the street. I'll go see if they have a toothbrush for you." She offered.

()()()

She'd come back from the store with a toothbrush and some cheap men's deodorant, that he personally thought smelled like cat piss, so he'd just used hers. He threw his clothes from yesterday on and decided that he'd just go buy something else to wear later. There had to be a Walmart or something near here. She'd put in to drive to the hospital that morning. He didn't really think she needed to be driving, but it wasn't that far and it was her car. He couldn't exactly tell her that she couldn't. That was the thing with her, she always wanted to be independent. She'd never wanted anyone to think she needed them to take care of her, yet she was always wanting to take care of other people. He'd actually been surprised how much she'd let him be there for her last night and how much she had clung to him.

Carol put the car in neutral and pulled up the E break when arrived at the hospital parking lot. She paused before getting out of the car and turned to Daryl. She let her blue eyes meet his. "I know I keep saying this, but thank you for coming with me. You really have no idea what it means to me to have you here. I don't know what I would have done without you last night."

"It's nothing." He said and offered her a small smile. Her words hit him hard. He didn't know what to say back. He'd never heard her say she needed anyone before and it kind of felt good to know she'd needed him.

She kept her eyes on his and placed one hand on the side of his face. "It's something to me." She insisted, as she kept her eyes locked on his.

Her hand was still placed against his cheek and he sat completely still and watched as she started moving towards him. He assumed she was going to kiss him on the forehead like he'd done to her last night. Instead, she slowly, almost hesitantly, placed her lips on his. This kiss wasn't intense or fiery like it had been the night they were together, instead it was soft and sweet. It had only lasted a few seconds, but for him time seemed not to exist in that moment. He felt his heart race and the sounds he'd previously heard coming from the highway were drowned out.

When she'd pulled away from she'd given him a small smile. "We better go ahead and go in." She said.

He looked over at her and nodded. He was in shock from what had just happened. His heart was still pounding in his chest and he felt like he couldn't catch his breath. He never thought he'd feel her lips pressed against his again. His mind was racing, because he had no idea what this meant and she hadn't offered him the slightest explanation. Was it just a thank you for being here? She hadn't exactly added any tongue to it, but it wasn't a quick peck on the lips either.

()()()

She'd taken his hand in hers again as they walked through the hospital and towards the cardiac unit. Both remaining silent as the strolled through the long hallways. When they entered the room her dad was in they found out that he was asleep, but her mom had told her that he'd been awake a few hours ago. She had let him know that Carol was staying in a hotel down the road and that she'd be in to see him later. The doctor said he'd needed his rest, so they opted against waking him up right then. Her mom suggested that the three of them go down to the cafeteria and grab breakfast. Carol had been hungry and went with her mom, but Daryl decided to stay in the room. He wanted to be alone with his thoughts for a minute, he wanted time to process what had happened down in the car. He sat there perched in the window looking down at the world below him. He couldn't stop thinking about their kiss. Wondering what it meant. He kept telling himself that it was nothing, that it couldn't mean anything more than her showing her appreciation to him. He didn't wanna get his hopes up for something he was sure she wouldn't want. She'd been through a lot in the last few hours. She was emotionally vulnerable and it wouldn't even be fair for him to bring it up with her and ask if it was something more. He pulled his legs up to his chest and his thumb up to the side of his mouth and exhaled.

"Did you climb through that window?" He heard a voice say.

He shot his eyes over to the hospital bed to see Carol's dad with a weak smile on his face. The man had aged a lot since the last time he'd seen him. He his hair was thinner and gray and his face had a lot more wrinkles now. He guessed that was to be expected though, he had to be in his mid-sixties. "What?" Daryl asked cocking his eyebrows. He was slightly worried the man was delusional.

"That window." The older man said pointing to where Daryl was sitting. "Did you climb through it like you used to climb through my daughter's?"

Daryl's eyes got wide and he felt his body tense up. "You uh….you knew about that?"

"Probably not at first, but I figured it out after a while…..You thrashed around in your sleep a lot and you snore… I thought she was hiding a damn dog in their one night….Imagine my surprise when I found you instead." His voice was weaker, but it still had a firm tone to it that the man had always spoken in.

"Why didn't you come throw my ass out?" Daryl laughed.

"Because you were sleeping in her closet….not her bed."

Daryl shook his head and kept a grin on his face. He couldn't believe her dad had known about that and never said anything. He'd been sure if he ever known he'd have strung him up by his balls. "Carol and her mom are downstairs getting breakfast. I'll go let em know you're up." Daryl said as he went to push himself up out of the window.

"Let them eat in peace. I know they spent all night worrying about me."

"Yeah...you gave us a scare." Daryl said as he obliged to the man's request leaned back against the window.

"Imagine how I felt." He huffed. "Craziest thing. We had been in Jacksonville for a while and were making our way through here to get up to King County to have Thanksgiving. We were going to stay in Savannah for the night and head your way first thing. We stopped to do a tour of the Wormsloe historic site to kill some time and I just started having chest pains. Next thing you know I hit the ground." He said as he picked his elbow up and looked it over. He had a huge scrape on it.

"I'm glad you're alright."

"Yeah…me too." Mr. Pelitier said before growing quiet.

Daryl didn't know what else to say to the man and started looking out the window again. He hated awkward silences.

"I uh….I wanted to tell you thanks for driving my daughter her and for staying with her…I'm glad to know you two are friends again." The man said, the emotion in his voice wasn't un-detected by Daryl.

"You're welcome." He hummed and then added. "I am too."

"Something happened between you too…..I don't know what it was….and frankly I don't wanna know. After you left she just wasn't the same….she was so…..so sad. She kept saying it was because she missed you, but you never called the house for her and you didn't come up and visit on Christmas….. She told us you just lost touched over time."

Daryl cringed. He didn't wanna be talking like this with her dad. He started rocking back and forth a little and biting the inside of his cheek. "Guess that's one way of putting it." Daryl mumbled.

"She missed you though, I know she did. I could hear the smile in her voice when she told me that you'd moved back to town."

"I missed her too….a lot." He admitted.

A smile spread across Mr. Pelitier's face when Daryl said that. "When you were growing up it may have seemed like I didn't like you much…and to be honest I probably didn't."

Daryl's face fell a bit and he could feel his stomach twisting. He felt like the man was about to tear into him and name every fault that he had.

"It's not why you might think though." He added when he noticed the how uncomfortable Daryl had grown. "I didn't like you because I saw the way you looked at my little girl, how you followed her around everywhere she went, how she smiled at you and looked at you like you were the greatest guy she'd ever know. All I ever wanted for her was to go to college and make something of herself. I didn't want her to have to depend on someone else. I wanted that, because I didn't want her to end up staying with someone because she felt like she had to…Then she brings you home off the school bus when she's eight years old and the next thing I know you're still there ten years later." He laughed thinking back on it now "I know my daughter, and I know how much you meant to her. I could see it in her eyes. I used to worry about you two a lot. I'd worry that she'd get pregnant, I worried she wouldn't go to college if you didn't because she wouldn't want to leave you, I worried that you'd join the military like your brother and move my daughter halfway across the world…Not that I wouldn't have been proud of you for joining the military….I just would have missed my daughter if you took her that far away from me."

"I never would have asked her not to go college." Daryl spoke up. "I never would have asked her to follow me anywhere neither. She's smart and I always encouraged her to follow her dreams."

"I learned that after a while. I learned it when she told me she got accepted into Armstrong and cried because she was going and you'd be here alone…..and if I didn't believe it then, I learned it again when she told me she was still going after you told her you were moving to Virginia with your brother to better your own life."

"I was with her when she got accepted. She'd been accepted into the community college at home too." Daryl recalled. "I told her that Armstrong was her dream school and it had a great nursing program and she needed to go for it."

"She told me that too." He father nodded. "My point is son, I was wrong about you back then. You always wanted what was best for my daughter, even if you knew it didn't involve you at the time…..I remember that time when the principal called to tell me he suspended you when some guy smacked her on the ass and you decked him… You looked out for her, protected her…I know you two weren't ever a couple, but I guess a part of me had always expected you to be and I didn't wanna like you because of it…You won't understand this now, but you will one day when you have a daughter of your own."

Daryl snorted at the thought of having a child, but didn't openly disagree with him. No point in arguing with a man who'd nearly died the night before.

"See, no man will ever be good enough for your daughter….until one day…..one is."

Daryl's eyebrows shot up at that. Was her dad trying to say he thought that he was good enough for his daughter?

"I couldn't appreciate you before, but I do now." Her dad gripped his fist together tightly and his heart rate monitor started going up. "I couldn't stand that son of a bitch that she was engaged to…."

He had no idea where this whole conversation was going and had been quite confused by it the entire time her dad was talking, but when he heard that last sentence come out of her his mouth he completely froze. He felt like his hearing was fading in and out and he felt dizzy and sick. His heart started beating frantically and he was pretty sure he was sweating. She'd never told him she'd been engaged, she hadn't even mentioned she'd had a serious boyfriend. "What?" Daryl shouted without realizing it. His tone was harsh and filled with emotion.

"The guy she was engaged to before she moved back home…I didn't like him at all."

"Carol was engaged?"…."engaged?"…."she was planning to get married before she moved back home?"…"married?" He was standing up now, speaking fast and in fragments. He had these images of this faceless man that she was walking down the aisle to meet. Then images of her smiling and holding a baby beside this man, her and this guy chasing kids around a big back yard and the whole time he was being forced to look off from a distance. It was a horrible, gut wrenching feeling of thinking of her marrying another man, kissing another man….sleeping with another man. Now he was having flashes of her naked with this faceless man. Bodies pressed together as she ran her hands up and down his back.

"Oh, shit." Her dad said as he realized how upset Daryl was by this revelation. "She didn't tell you."

"No…she didn't….no one did." He added grudgingly. He thought back to times Rick, Lori and Maggie had all said something about all that she'd been through. He'd assumed they'd meant all he'd put her through….now he was sure it meant whatever had happened between her and this guy."

"I'm sorry son." Her dad said softly.

He took a deep breath, drastically trying to calm himself down. "Why'd they break up?"

"She didn't really say….She just said she realized it wouldn't ever work out…and I'm glad that it didn't."

Daryl paced back and forth a bit, but he started feeling dizzy again and slumped back into the window. He knew he didn't have a right to be upset that she'd found someone. He had always assumed she would. He didn't like it and knowing she had, at one point, loved someone else enough to want to marry them hurt him more than he'd ever imagined it would. He couldn't be angry with her about that though, because he had no one to blame for that but himself. He booked up and left, he never told her how he felt. That was all on him and he knew it. However, he did find himself being angry that she hadn't mentioned it to him once in two months she'd been back. He hung his head down and then heard the door opening. He saw Carol and her mom enter. She noticed her dad was awake and ran over and hugged him for a long time. She finally came and sat down in a chair beside the window where he was sitting. She looked up at him and smiled, but he couldn't force himself return it. He knew he couldn't talk about this with her here in the hospital, so he forced himself to bury everything he was feeling right now down deep until he had a chance to be alone with her later.


	21. Chapter 21

**(Thanks for reading and reviewing! I wish I could skip class and just stay at home and write all day. It would have been so much better than sitting for 6 hours straight today. You know, early on I'd thought about having Andrea slip up and tell Merle and then he'd go back and tell Daryl. Ultimately I decided to do something a little different and unexpected.)**

It wasn't lost on Carol how standoffish Daryl had been since she returned from breakfast with her mom earlier that morning. She'd wanted him to go to breakfast with them that morning, but he'd declined and said he wasn't hungry. She had found that ever since everything happened with her dad she hadn't wanted Daryl far away from her. She needed him next to her, she needed to be able to reach out and grab his hand or to have him hold her close if she felt upset or overwhelmed by everything. Just being in his presence had a calming effect on her during all of this. He made her feel safe and secure, like nothing bad was going to happen as long as he was there. He'd assured her as soon as she'd told him about her dad that her everything was going to be okay. While she knew there was no way for him to know whether or not her dad would make it, she'd realized that his statement had two meanings. It either meant that things would work out and her dad would be okay or if he wasn't Daryl would have been there every single step of the way to help her through her grief and make sure she was okay. She had no doubt about that now after how amazing he'd been already.

When he'd kissed her on the forehead in that waiting room and later when he'd held her all night at the hotel, it changed something in the way she'd felt about him. She'd been keeping up walls with him, making sure any feelings she had for him stayed at a distance. If she felt herself wanting him too bad she'd simply remind herself of the way she felt the day he left her without a word. It was enough of a reminder for her to know she shouldn't trust him not to hurt her, no matter how bad she might want him. The idea of being with him hadn't been smart, it hadn't felt safe. Now though, she was certain that no matter how many times she'd try and convince herself of that after this that she wouldn't be able to. Her heart and her head would always go back to how he treated her during this, how safe he'd made her feel. She'd told him that night they'd first ran into each other again that she wasn't who she used to be and neither was he. Of course that was true, despite the fact that they still shared a connection and close bond there were many things that happened in six years that they didn't know about each other know. She'd also realized when she woke up this morning that he wasn't the 18 year old boy who ran away without a word anymore either. Maybe she shouldn't base her opinion of him today on who he was in that moment. In fact, he'd tried to offer some sort of explanation at the powerhouse and she'd refused to hear it from him.

So, in the car that morning, she'd decided to kiss him. She done it because she wanted him to know how much it meant to her that he'd been here with her, to know that she wanted him, no needed him in so many ways. She hadn't had her lips pressed against his in a long time, but that morning in the car she knew that she needed them to be right then. Even if it was only for a minute. Seeing him sit in the window of her dad's hospital room right now, she wondered if that had been a huge mistake. He'd barely looked at her since she came back from breakfast and he wasn't talking. He had his hands placed deep in his pockets and he just kept staring out at the street below. Occasionally her mom would ask him a few questions here or there and he'd quietly answer her. She'd asked him if everything was okay and he'd replied that he was just tired. Carol knew him better than that though, she knew he was turning something around over and over again in his head. She hadn't wanted to make things awkward between them, she hadn't wanted to do anything he didn't want her to do. She'd just wanted to kiss him so bad and she'd hoped deep down that he'd wanted to kiss her too. Now she was sure she'd gone and screwed things up between them again.

()()()

Carol's dad had insisted that the three of them go out and eat somewhere that evening. He thought that her mom needed to get away from the hospital for a while and get some fresh air. It had taken a while to convince her, but she'd finally given in since he was stable and doing well. The three of them were walking down the hallway towards the parking lot when Daryl stopped to get Carol's attention.

"Can I ask you something real quick?" He asked, as he placed a hand on her arm to get her to stop walking and face him.

She watched him as he immediately slammed his hands back in his pockets after he'd gotten her attention. He'd kept them there the whole time they'd been walking like he was afraid she'd reach out and try to hold his hand like she had done that morning and the night before. "Sure." She replied, but she didn't even try and hide the worried tone in her voice.

"Do you think I could borrow your car real quick to grab some clothes?"

She stood in place, feeling her stomach start to churn nervously. "I can ride with you. You don't know where anything is anyway."

He looked over to where her mom was stopped in front of them waiting a little ways ahead. "Go ahead and go with your mom. She doesn't need to be alone. I'll meet you guys at the restaurant in a few minutes."

"You don't even know how to get there…"

"I gotta GPS on my phone."

She looked at him, her blue eyes wide and filled with uncertainty. "We can just go get you some clothes after we eat." She suggested.

"I've been wearing the same clothes for days. I don't wanna go out to eat like this…and I need some more cigarettes."

She bit hard at her bottom lip to try and suppress tears she could feel forming at the edge of her eyes. She had this unsinkable feeling he was trying to bolt. Against her better judgement, she reached into her purse and handed him her keys. She could feel her hands shaking as handed them to him. "Here." She said.

He didn't hadn't missed the trepidation in her voice during this whole conversation. He knew she had picked up on the fact something was off with him. He also didn't miss the way she was shaking and the way her eyes were glassed over right now. It made him feel horrible for even asking to borrow her car, but he'd been trapped up in that room with her and her parents all damn day and it had taken everything in him not to jump out of the damn window just to get a minute to himself. He just needed to be by himself for a few minutes. He knew though, her body language and the look on her face said it all. She thought if he got in that car he wouldn't be coming back. And that broke his heart even worse than learning she'd been engaged. He leaned into her where her mom couldn't hear this part of their conversation. He placed a hand on her side and pressed his lips against her ear. "I know what you're thinking, I do, and you got every right to think it after what I did. I ain't going nowhere. I wouldn't do that to you again and I never should have in the first place."

She swallowed hard and nodded.

()()()

Carol and her mom had gone on to the steakhouse and booked a table. The hostess had told them that it could take up to twenty minutes before they had one open. She and her mom sat outside while waiting and watched as horse drawn carriages went by.

"What's going on with you two?" Her mom asked.

"What do you mean?" Carol replied, trying to play dumb.

"Boy's been quiet all day and he's kept his distance from you. He won't hardly look over at you and that's a huge change from the way you two were last night." Her mother sat there and pondered things a bit before speaking again. "Did you sleep with him?"

She looked at her mother, her mouth gaping open. "Why….why would you even think that?" She stammered out.

"Dr. Phil says sex between friends can make things awkward….it makes sense." The older woman shrugged.

"I did not have sex with Daryl last night." She said, and looked away. Talking about sex with her mom was making her highly uncomfortable.

"Have you ever?"

"Mother!" She snapped, and let her jaw drop again.

"Honey, you were engaged. I don't exactly think you're a 24 year old virgin here. Besides, the boy loves you and you love him. It's natural."

"First of all, if you love me….please….please stop talking about sex. Second, I…..I do not…love…. Daryl."

Her mother shot her a disbelieving look.

"I don't." She insisted. "And he doesn't love me either…..trust me." She looked down and kicked her feet back and forth over the concrete as a sad look swept over her face.

()()()

Daryl met them at the restaurant a few minutes before their table was ready. He'd found a clothing store right down the street from the hospital. It was a little pricey and not his style at all, but if he'd have gone anywhere else it would have taken him forever to meet them at the steakhouse. He didn't want Carol freaking out and thinking he was on I-16 headed home in her car. He laughed a little to himself that she'd actually thought he was a big enough dick to run back home in her own car. He had smoked two cigarettes hoping maybe they'd calm his nerves and make him feel less shitty about learning about her engagement, but that hadn't worked. So when he met them for dinner he'd been pretty quiet there too. He hadn't eaten much at lunch earlier and he found himself just picking around his steak tonight. He felt too queasy to eat. Carol's mom drove back to the hospital and the two of them had just gotten back to the hotel. He knew she was probably going to drill him on why he was acting funny, he didn't wanna talk about it though. She'd been through a lot, and he didn't wanna fight with her.

"What's wrong?" She asked as soon as they entered the room.

"Nothing…I'm just tired."

She cut her eyes at him. "Are you mad at me?"

He swallowed and let his eyes meet hers. He didn't say anything.

As soon as he didn't answer right away she'd known the answer was yes. She started to feel guilty and looked down. "I'm sorry I kissed you." She said barely above a whisper.

He sighed "I'm not mad about the kiss…it confused the hell outa me…" he admitted…."but it damn sure didn't make me mad…"

She forced herself to look up and a smile crept to the edge of her lips. He didn't sound like he thought that it was a bad thing at all. The smile didn't stick though, because she soon realized that something else must be going on. "What's really wrong then?" She asked. "And stop bullshitting me." She added, in a stern voice.

"Ain't nothing wrong." He snapped, clearly annoyed that she wouldn't just drop it.

She raised her voice. "You know, that's your whole problem. You don't ever wanna talk about anything."

"I don't wanna talk about anything?" "What about you?" He shot back. "You were fucking engaged…engaged….. and you didn't even tell me."

"What?"….."Who….who told you that?" She stuttered. She was so surprised he knew that she literally took a few steps backwards.

"I know who fucking didn't tell me." He said coldly, as he narrowed his eyes on her.

She was getting pissed now. What right did he have to get mad because she hadn't told him yet? What business of his was it anyway? "You know what?" "You're right. How could I not tell you?" "I should have picked up the phone to call you right after it happened." She said sarcastically." Oh wait, I couldn't, because I didn't even know you're fucking phone number." She shouted. "Just like I couldn't call you when I first went to college and I cried every single night because I missed home so much and all I wanted to do was hear your voice because I knew it'd make me feel better. Or just like I couldn't call you to tell you how happy I was when I finished that first semester with all A's despite how miserable I'd been. And I couldn't call and tell you how upset I was when my parents sold the house and bought the RV…..or later to tell you that I'd been accepted to nursing school."

He looked down at floor. He was too ashamed to meet her eyes right now. She was screaming at him, letting him have it and he knew he deserved it.

"And you know why I couldn't call you Daryl….do you know?"

"Carol…" He said sadly, because he didn't want her to finish that sentence.

"It's because you fucked me….you took my virginity….. and you woke up the next morning and left without a word…Not a single fucking word. You just up and left like I was some…..some worthless whore who didn't mean anything to you." She screamed. She was crying now, tears flowing down her face as she continued to yell at him. Her emotions were boiling over and everything she'd been holding back came spilling to the surface "And because of that you weren't there when I graduated college, or started my first job…..you weren't there when I met Ed…..you weren't there the first time the asshole called me a worthless bitch, or when he came home drunk and slapped me around the first time….or when I was stupid enough to stay with him after that and he came home pissed off one night and hit me so hard the back of my head hit the wall."

Each word that came out of her mouth cut him deep. He'd known that she had to harbor anger towards him for everything, but she'd done a good job of keeping it at bay. He deserved what she was saying, so he'd stood there and took it. He'd just looked at the floor and let her say everything she needed to say to him, despite how bad it hurt to hear it. But when she said that this Ed guy had called her a worthless bitch it made his head shoot up. He felt anger flow through his body at the thought of someone talking to her like that. He immediately clinched his fists together. Then, when she'd said that the man had put his hands on her he felt like his blood was about to boil. Part of him wanted to ask her where the hell this guy was so he could go find him and beat the hell out of him, but a larger part of him just wanted to comfort her. To hold her and let her know that he was here now and he'd never let anyone do anything like that to her again. So, he ran to her and wrapped his arms around her as tight as he could without hurting her.

She'd started to fight him as soon as he'd put his arms around her. She was kicking and thrashing and hitting him in the chest. She was yelling for him to let go of her and telling him that she didn't want him touching her. He'd forgotten how strong she was to be so much smaller than him and the repeated hits to the chest were starting to hurt. He shifted himself so that she was pressed against his chest in a way she couldn't move her arms now, but she was still kicking and thrashing and the two of them fell back onto the bed. He kept his grip tightly around her body and when they hit the bed she finally stopped fighting, but the tears kept coming.

"How could you do that….how could you do that to me?" "You left….you just left." She bawled….."You weren't there." "Why weren't you there?

He wanted to tell her why he'd left, but he knew she needed to calm down a little before they had this conversation. She was so upset right now that she probably wouldn't even hear a word he said. He was going to let her calm down and catch her breath, and then he'd tell her everything. Until then, he wasn't going to let her go. He kept her pressed tightly against him, but he freed one of his hands and started to run it up and down her back.

"I know I wasn't there….I know I messed up…..I hurt you and there hasn't been a day in my life I haven't regretted it since….but I'm here now and I'm never leaving you again…..I'm gonna make sure no one ever hurts you again." He said, as he felt tears slide down his own face. "I'm sorry….I'm so sorry."

 **(I don't feel like I did this justice and I'm sorry if it sucks.)**


	22. Chapter 22

**(Glad you guys liked it! I'm my own worst critic, especially when I write when I'm not in my zone. Problem is, if I waited to get in the zone to write I'd hardly ever update, so I have to make myself sit down and write anyway and hope it comes out good.)**

He wasn't sure how long he'd been holding her now. Thirty minutes, an hour, more? He knew it had been a while, but he was willing to lay there and hold her all night if he had to. He had to talk to her, he had to tell her why he'd left and how he felt. She deserved an explanation after all these years and he was tired of keeping his feelings bottled up. He didn't expect her to understand and he knew there was a chance that she'd get mad, but it was something he had to do. She had been engaged to another man, she was planning a life with him. It just happened to turn out that he was a complete asshole who didn't deserve her or appreciate her and they hadn't worked out. If she would have married this guy then Daryl probably wouldn't have ever seen her again, and he couldn't stand the thought of that. He needed her to know how sorry he was for everything. He needed her to know how he felt about her. He needed to know if he ever had a chance with her. And as soon as he dealt with all of this, he was going to find the low life son of a bitch who'd put his hands on her and he was going to beat the shit out of him. There was no doubt about that.

He bent his head down a little so that his face was even with hers. He couldn't hear her crying anymore, but he still saw some tears running down her cheeks. He gently moved the hand that he had been using to caress her back with up to her face and wiped one of the tears away with his thumb.

She felt the brush of his hand graze her cheek as he wiped away her tears. She let her sad blue eyes meet his and she realized that he'd been crying too. His eyes were red and she watched as a tear slid out of the corner of his eye. She pulled her left hand out from under Daryl and mirrored the movements he'd just made. Placing a hand on his cheek and wiping a tear from his eye. "Why are you crying?" She asked, softly.

"Because I fucked up….because I hurt you…..because he hurt you….because I wasn't there to stop him…because I love you." There was a tremble in his voice as he spoke. Pain and regret carried themselves with the first two statements, while anger seemed to be mixed in with the last two. When he got that final statement out it had barely been said above a whisper. His voice was raspy and he said it with such fear and un-certainty. He'd never said those words to her when she could hear them before. Hell, he'd barely said those words to anyone before. His dad sure as hell never made a habit of saying it around the house. He'd only told Merle that twice before. The first time was on the day he left for the army and then again on the day he'd come back.

She slid her hand up to his forehead and brushed it through his hair. "You did fuck up…..you did hurt me….but what Ed did doesn't fall on you. What I said may have sounded like I blame you for it, but I don't. I was just…..mad…..and hurt….and as mean as it sounds…..I guess I wanted to hurt you too. A lot of what I said is true and its anger I carried towards you for a long time, but I can't blame you for his actions or my choice to stay with him as long as I did…and no matter what I just said or how upset I was or what you did, you're still my best friend and I love you too."

He took a deep breath and braced himself for what he was about to say. He was scared shitless and his heart was beating fast. He wasn't sure that he'd be able to get it all, but he was damn sure going to try. He grabbed the hand that she'd been brushing though his hair and linked it with his. He made sure his gaze was locked on hers, because he wanted her to see the sincerity in his eyes as he said everything he needed to. "I need you to know something…..that night we were together…it wasn't just about sex for me…it didn't happen just because I was drunk…..and I don't think of you as some one night stand or just some bitch….I woke up and I freaked out….because I thought you'd wake up and be mad at me for taking advantage of you or that you'd regret it."

Carol looked at him. She went to speak, but he stopped her.

"Please, just let me say everything I need to say first." He begged.

She nodded. A look of confusion and something else that he couldn't read shown in her eyes.

"I couldn't stand the thought of you telling me that it had been a mistake…..because it wasn't for me….I'd wanted you for so long. I decided that it would be better for me to be gone than to face that….It was selfish and it's the most fucked up, horrible thing I've ever done…..I was just….I was scared….I was in love with you and I thought not talking to you would be easier for me than you telling me you didn't love me back or us staying friends and me having to watch you fall in love with someone else."

She felt the sob rise in her throat. He'd felt the same way she did. He'd loved her too. And it was a frustrating, yet terrifying realization. They could have been together back then. How different would life had turned out if they had been? Would it have worked? They were going to be states apart. If she'd known that would she have still gone to school or would she have followed him? Would she have asked him to follow her? She had no clue, because she'd never let herself think about those things after he left. She was so sure he'd woken up and realized it was the worst mistake he'd ever made and that he didn't even want to see her again because of it. That was her only reasoning for why he left, she never would have dreamed it was because he had feelings for her. Who did that? Then she realized exactly what type of people did that. People like Daryl who had no idea how to deal with what they were feeling, people who felt unworthy of love, people who didn't have confidence or self-esteem, people who had no experience with women or sex or love. Did that make it easier to accept what he had done? No. Did it make the years of hurt and anger disappear? No. But it did make sense in its own fucked up way. "Why did you think I'd regret it?" She asked calmly, as she choked back tears.

He scooted away from her a bit where they weren't completely pressed against each other. He was surprised that was her reaction to hearing his confession that he'd been in love with her. He'd hoped for I loved you too. He'd expected anger, more hitting and crying. Not a question. "Because you wanted to lose your virginity to someone you were in love with." He said, sadly.

She nodded and bit her bottom lip. "I did."

He moved his gaze from hers. He felt like complete and utter shit now. In his mind she was confirming that she had wanted to wait to sleep with someone she was in love and regretted her first time being with him. "I know you did…I'm sorry…I shouldn't have let it happen."

"No, Daryl." She said as she cupped his face and turned it back towards hers. "I did lose my virginity to someone I was in love with."

He felt his mouth gape open and his heart started pounding even faster. "What?" He said, confusion and hope clashed together in his voice.

"I love you…..loved you too…..I was going to kiss you that morning….maybe even tell you how I felt." She admitted, as she twiddled her thumb around his nervously.

He just kept looking at her. Like a deer caught in the headlights, he couldn't look away. He was in shock, complete and utter shock. Everything he'd ever wanted could have been his, but he was too much of a pussy to say anything about it. He'd lost six years with her because of that. She'd had her heart broken because of that. Some fucking asshole had put his hands on her because of that. She could have been his all this time, if only he'd have had the balls to stick around that morning. He felt like such an idiot. She was laying there looking at him right now, waiting for him to react, to say something. His heart was about to pound out of his chest. He'd wasted so much time already and he wasn't going to waste anymore. Before he knew what he was doing his lips descended on hers. He'd meant for it to be soft and sweet, like the kiss she had given him earlier in the car. And at first it was. It had started off slow and lingering. He felt his body tingle as he took a chance and deepened the kiss and their lips began to move together fiercely. He had this fuzzy, almost drunk feeling overwhelm him. He slowly moved his body on top of hers, and let out a moan when she started running her hands through his hair. He broke away from her mouth momentarily and started trailing kisses down her neck. He felt her run her hands under his shirt and she traced her fingertips up and down his back. She started tugging at the bottom of his shirt and quickly peeled it off of him. She moved her lips back onto his and then pushed him off of her and onto his back. She began kissing his neck and slowly made her way down to his chest. Suddenly she stopped what she was doing and froze in place.

"What's wrong?" He asked, breathlessly as he gasped for air.

"I hit you..."

"What?" He said, clearly confused. He didn't have a fucking clue what she was talking about right now. All he knew was that he'd been kissing her and she'd been kissing him and he just wanted to go back to do doing that.

She ran her hand along the dark marks covering his upper body. "I hit you earlier…..I left these here." She said, sadly.

His face fell. He'd gotten so caught up in the moment, so lost in what they were doing that he'd forgotten she'd been crying probably an hour ago. Thoughts of her being mad at him, her abusive ex-fiancee' and her dad in the hospital raced to the front of his mind. That drunk, fuzzy feeling he had slowly started coming down and he started to wonder what the hell he had been thinking. He sat up and sighed deeply before running his hands through his hair. "You were mad at me. You didn't want me touching you…..It's no big deal….I'm fine."

"I left marks on you…..That is a big deal." She made sure to convey the serious in her tone, as well as her eyes as she said it.

"Yeah, and I left ones on you. Just not physically…. Stop. Don't do this to yourself. I deserved it after what I did." He was looking at her, trying to meet her gaze, but she wouldn't let him. She kept her eyes trained on the marks on his chest.

"No…you didn't." She told him firmly. "You didn't deserve it when your dad did it….I didn't deserve it when Ed did it…..no one ever deserves for someone to put their hands on them."

"Come here." He said as he pulled her into him and wrapped an arm around her. "You doing this to me…it isn't the same….it just isn't. You told me to let go of you and I didn't."

"But you weren't hurting me, you were trying to comfort me." She argued.

"But you told me to let go of you and I didn't. It's not the same thing…..It's just not."

"Daryl…"

"Hey, look at me." He said as he cupped her chin and made her eyes meet his. "Stop….don't do this to yourself...you're not him."

She nodded, but she still felt like a horrible person for hitting him. She stayed pressed against his chest while he kept an arm around her. Things were silent and she reflected on their kiss and how quickly it escalated. They'd never been good at communicating their feelings, but obviously they'd both been in love with each other back then. She knew she still loved him and she wanted to know if he felt the same. "Daryl, what are we?" She asked hesitantly, as she sat up so she could look him in the eyes as he answered. "I mean, I know what we were about to do, but what do you want us to be?

"Whatever you want us to be." He said, and as he soon as it left his lips he regretted his simple wording. He saw her face fall. "I don't mean it like that." He clarified. "I'm in love with you….I always have been…I wanna be with you, but if you're not ready for that then I'm not gonna push you into anything."

She sat there looking at him long and hard for a moment. She loved him so much, but she did realize she hadn't long gotten out of a two year relationship and the way it ended scared the shit out of her. The fact that she just put her hands on Daryl earlier scared the shit out of her. Her dad had almost died this weekend, she'd almost just slept with him again without either of them trying to figure out what they wanted first. She just didn't want to jump into this while she was in such an emotionally driven state. Plus, her mom might need help taking care of her dad for a while. As much as she wanted to be with him, she just thought that they needed to work through a few things first. She could tell he was obviously very upset by her engagement too, just like Rick had said he'd be. "I'm in love with you too. I never stopped…I just didn't think I could have you." She finally told him. "I wanna be with you….I just don't think I can make that decision tonight."

He bit his lip hard and nodded. He was prepared for her to say that she wasn't ready, but hearing it still hurt.

She saw the look of pain wash over his face and it broke her heart. "I'm not saying no…I'm yours…I already am….and I always will be." It's just sucky timing with everything that happened." She paused, suddenly feeling sick because she realized he might not wanna wait around for her to be ready.

"I get it….Don't worry I'm ain't going anywhere" He said, almost as if he knew what she was thinking. "You're the only girl I've ever wanted and the only one I'll ever want." He added, as he kissed her forehead.

She leaned up and placed a small kiss on his lips. "Sorry." She said, as she pulled away. "I just wanted to kiss you one more time."

He leaned back in and placed a kiss on hers. "Don't be. You can kiss me whenever you want to."

 **(Don't hate me for not letting them officially get together right now!)**


	23. Chapter 23

The two of them had fallen asleep shortly after getting everything out into the open last night. Both of them were still wearing the clothes they had on the day before, except Daryl was missing his shirt which she'd pulled off him last night. He stirred in bed first, he could see the sunlight peaking in through the window. He looked over at the clock beside him and saw that it was a little after 7 in the morning. He glanced down beside him and noticed she was still fast asleep. She had one of her legs wrapped over both of his and an arm draped over his chest. Her hair was sticking up everywhere and she had her mouth hanging open a little, but he still thought she was the most beautiful girl in the world. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. It felt amazing to know that she loved him too, but it hurt to know she still wasn't technically his. He let his mind wonder to the way they were kissing last night and what they'd almost done. He'd wanted to kiss her again, have her body against his again for so long. And it felt so good to have her that way last night. Thinking back on last night wasn't doing him any favors right now, and neither was having her right here beside him. He groaned and decided he needed to get a shower, a long, cold shower. He slowly slid his legs out from under hers and gingerly moved her hand off his chest. As soon he was out of the bed he heard her groggy voice call out to him.

"Where ya going? She asked, as she sat up and started to rub her eyes.

"I uh….I was just going to get a shower." He mumbled, as he placed his hands in front of his crotch to hide the evidence of what he'd just been thinking about.

"Save me some hot water." She said, as she yawned.

"No problem." He muttered, as he reached down and grabbed a change of clothes.

()()()

"Shower's yours." He told her as he walked over to the bag of things he'd bought yesterday to grab some deodorant. He still didn't have a shirt on, only a pair of khaki cargo shorts from that upscale store he'd gone to yesterday.

She nodded and crawled out of bed to go grab her things out of her bag so she could get one next. "Can we go somewhere before we go to the hospital?"

"Where do you wanna go?" He asked, curiously.

"You'll see." She told him with a small smile, as she walked in the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

()()()

After she'd gotten out of the shower they'd gotten in the car and she'd taken him to that little bakery she worked at during college. She ordered them some fudge and they took a seat in the corner and sat talking and eating. She told him about her time working there and how shortly after she started she'd dropped a wedding cake she was supposed to be delivering and ruined it. Then she'd taken him on a walk around the square downtown showing him all of the places she used to hang out. They passed a pizzeria that served all of these huge Chicago style pizza slices. She told him how if she ever went out drinking with her roommates that they'd always ended up eating there. She claimed it was the best hangover prevention ever. He'd couldn't help but smile at the way her face lit up when she was talking to him about these places and her experiences. These little moments that had been important to her that he'd missed out on. He briefly wondered what it would have been like to come down here and visit her and be a part of them. They walked for a long time and came to street that had a lot of trees that were covered in Spanish moss. They started on their way down the street and she stopped in front of a row of duplex style houses.

"This was my apartment." She said as she pointed to a gray and white two story house that had been divided into two units. "I moved here my second year of college and I lived in it until I moved back home. I had a lot of good times here with Tare, Rosita and Sasha." She recollected, as she pointed up to the window facing the street. "That one was my bedroom."

"Looks like it was a pretty nice place." He told her. Each housing unit had a spacious front porch, the paint looked new, as did the roof. He was sure the inside was just as nice. Every house on the street was so close to the others though, it almost made him feel claustrophobic.

"It was my home. The first place that was really mine, you know?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I do. Merle and I rented a place from the people we worked for. It wasn't that nice, but it was the first place I ever had that was mine. I was proud of it." He looked back up at the duplex and found himself wondering something. "Did that asshole live here with you?" He said, with more anger in his voice than he intended.

She nodded and looked down. "A few months after we started dating he moved in. I thought he'd help with rent money. I went from splitting this place four ways to paying for it all on my own. It was expensive."

"Does he still live here?" Daryl said, seething as he took a step towards the house.

She placed a hand on his shoulder. "No. His car isn't here and there's no way he could have afforded it without me."

"Where is he?" "I wanna have a little chat with him." His eyes were dark and angry and he could feel himself shaking a little. He had been preoccupied with her and fixing them and he'd pushed what this guy did to the back of his mind. Since they seemed to be okay now and were supposed to be on the road to building a relationship, he figured he could turn his attention to punishing this guy for putting his hands on her.

"I don't know. I haven't talked to him since the night before I left."

"Where's he work then?"

"Daryl, no. Stop." She said sternly.

"Stop protecting him." He snapped, as he threw a hand in the air out of frustration.

"I'm not." She snapped back. "I'm protecting you. That's why I didn't tell you about it sooner. I knew you'd wanna go find him and you'd do something stupid."

"Standing up for you ain't stupid. He ain't gonna get away with that shit." He argued.

"It's done…it's over. He's out of my life for good and I don't want you getting locked. We aren't in high school. You can't just go punching people in the face every time someone does something to me you don't like anymore. I don't wanna see you get in trouble. I don't wanna see you screw up your life for me. Please, just drop it." She begged.

"Fine…but if I ever see him…..if he ever comes near you again….. I'll fucking kill him."

"Come here." She said as she extended her hand out to his. He looked at her hand and then back up to her eyes before finally placing his own hand in hers. "I didn't want you to get upset when I brought you here." She told him calmly. "I just wanted to show you what my life was like down here. Show you things that were important to me. I just wanted to share that with you."

He took a deep breath and nodded. He'd felt himself calm a little as soon as her hand was in his. She'd always had that calming effect on him for some reason. He was going to let this go. He wasn't going to go hunt the guy down, because he'd just end up getting locked up and then he wouldn't even be able to see her. But if the dude ever came around, he was going to make him regret it. "I just can't stand the thought of him…."

"I know." She said cutting him off. "But I'm okay. I'm fine and I'm here with you now and he's not ever going to be able to hurt me again." She assured him.

()()()

They'd gone to the hospital to see her dad and they'd informed them that he was doing really well. He should be able to be discharged in two days and he'd just be restricted to light activity for a while. They advised against traveling much while he was recovering and her mom was talking about just going back to King County for a while and staying while he recovered. She said they could go rent a lot from the local campsite. Carol didn't like the idea of them staying in the RV though, she was hoping she could find a place of her own and let them stay with her for a while.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked, once they got back to the hotel that night.

"What makes you think I've got something on my mind?" She replied

"You've been quiet tonight. You're only quiet when you're thinking. Normally you don't shut the hell up." He joked and made sure to shoot her a grin for good measure.

"I do not." She said with a laugh and he shot her a look, but didn't argue. "I just don't want my parents to have to stay in the RV while my dad's recovering. I really wanna find a place of my own when I get back so they'll have somewhere to stay."

He picked up a bottle of water and took a sip. "Thought you didn't wanna live alone?"

"I won't be alone. My parents will be there." She countered.

"Yeah, but they'll eventually get back out on the road when he's better."

"I don't imagine I'll be alone too often then either." She mused

His eyebrows shot up. "What?"

She pursed her lips together and shrugged. "I just figured you might wanna come keep company some nights…I've kind of gotten used to sleeping next to you."

He swallowed hard. After kissing her like that last night, sleeping in a bed with her was going to be a lot harder than it had been. Just knowing that the possibility was there was going to make it hard to keep his hands to himself. He really wished she was ready for more between, but he didn't wanna push her. He wanted more than just sex with her and he didn't wanna screw that up by trying something, but it had been a really long time for him and he wanted her so bad. He had a feeling this was going to end up be a slow form of torture for him.


	24. Chapter 24

Carol's dad was going to get discharged on Tuesday and she was supposed to be back at work on Monday. She'd called into work and explained what was going on and they said she could just come back in on Wednesday. She'd told Daryl that he should go on home tonight, because Merle would need his help at the shop tomorrow. He'd argued with her and told her that he'd just stay here until then and that Merle could handle things by himself for two days. He'd told her he didn't wanna leave her and that he wanted to be here for her. She'd told him he'd more than been there for her the past four days and that she was so thankful to him for it, but that he had a business to help run and he should get back. It would be a lot on Merle to handle everything for two days and since them running the shop was still so new, she didn't want him to risk messing things up because of her. He'd finally, very reluctantly agreed to go home. She was currently driving the car to the hospital with him in the passenger seat. She was going to be dropped off here and let him take her car back home. He was sitting with his head leaned against the window with a brooding look on his face. He looked like almost childlike and it reminded her of the first time she'd ever met him.

 _***Flashback***_

 _Carol was eight years old and it was the first day of third grade at a brand new school. She had just moved here with her family, because her dad had been transferred to the textile plant here with a promotion and a pay raise. She was excited, yet nervous about her first day. They'd literally just finished moving into the house on Saturday, so she didn't know a soul here. She stepped onto the bus and offered her bus driver a small wave and smile._

" _Hi, my name's Carol."_

" _Nice to meet you, my name's Ms. Bloodworth." The woman said, retuning her smile. Kids your age always sit up front, kids in middle and high school sit in the back. We have assigned seats on this bus." She pointed to a spot above the windows on the bus where stickers were placed with two students names on them each. "Find the one with your name and have a seat."_

 _Carol did as she was told and slowly walked down the aisle looking for her seat. She finally saw it, it was the third row of seats on the left. There was already a shaggy haired little boy sitting there with his head leaned up against the window. He must not have noticed her yet, because he didn't turn to look at her. He just kept staring out of that window. She took a seat beside him, and waited for him to acknowledge her, but he never did. She sat in silence with him as they continued the ride to the school and he still hadn't looked over at her. She kept looking over at him and couldn't help but notice he looked sad. She decided she would just try and talk to him. Maybe she could make him feel better._

" _Hi, my name's Carol." "What's your name?"_

 _He slowly turned around and looked at her. He gave her a scowl and looked up at the sticker with both their names on it above them. "No shit, that's your name. Else you wouldn't be sitting here. If you can read, you should already know what mine is too." His tone was harsh and he immediately turned back around and sunk his head against the window._

 _Her jaw dropped at the word that just came out of his mouth and the way that he'd just talked to her. She'd never heard someone her age talk like that before and he sounded so angry. "You're not very nice you know, and you've got a dirty mouth."_

" _Well, you ain't very observant. If you can't tell I've been trying to ignore you since you sat down." He growled._

" _I was trying to be nice." She huffed. "And if you weren't such a weenie head I was going to ask if you wanted some of my Poptart."_

 _His eyes darted over to her when he heard the foil of the Poptart being peeled back. He was hungry, his dad never made him breakfast and he didn't keep things like that for her or his brother to have before school. Mostly, they ate wild game or food grown in his dad's garden. He half wished he'd have just said a simply hi and grunted his name back when she tried to talk to him now. He wasn't going to start being nice all of a sudden just to get some damn food though. That would be being a kiss ass, and he wasn't raised to be a kiss ass. "I don't want your stupid Poptart." He mumbled._

" _I wouldn't give you any now anyway." She scoffed, as she started eating it in front of him. She watched as he slid closer to the window to try and get as far away from her as possible. She started breaking apart her snack and eating it piece by piece. She heard his stomach growl and a part of her felt bad and wanted to offer him some, but she figured she'd just get snapped at again so she didn't._

 _***End of Flashback***_

He heard her laugh to herself and picked his head up to look over at her. "What's so funny?" He asked, narrowing his eyes on her.

"I was just thinking about the first time I met you." She said, with a grin. "You were such a mean little shit."

"You talked too much. "He teased back and let a laugh of his own slip out.

She pulled the car to a stop in front of the hospital. She placed it in neutral and pulled the emergency brake up, but left it running. "I guess this is my stop." She said as she looked up and read the hospital sign."

He looked over at her and he felt his stomach knot up. He didn't want to go home and leave her here. He was worried she'd end up needing him and he wouldn't be around. He knew her dad was doing good, but knowing that her ex lived down here had him slightly worried. He knew guys like that, his dad was one. They needed to be in control of everything and the dude couldn't have been happy when she broke up with him and left. He didn't want her to run into him by accident. "You sure you don't want me to stay?" He asked, hoping she'd changed her mind.

"You know that it's not that I don't want you here." She said softly, as she placed her hand on his face. He looked so pitiful right now, his eyes were downcast and his voice was low. "You need to be at the shop with Merle. You have to do what's right for you. I'll be home Tuesday night."

He looked up at her and nodded. "Call me if you need me."

"I will, I promise." She said as she pulled him into an embrace. She held onto him tightly, and it was going to be just as hard for her to let go as it seemed to be for him to go. "Thank you, for everything." She whispered." Then she placed a kiss on his cheek.

"You're welcome." He whispered back, as he traced his hand up and down her back before letting go of her.

"Drive safe, it looks like it might rain." She told him before stepping out of the car. "And please, take care of my car. It's my baby and I'm still paying for it."

"I taught you how to drive, remember?" He smirked.

()()()

Carol made her way through the hospital and headed for her dad's room. She heard a voice call out to her and cringed. She turned around and forced herself to place a fake smile on her face.

"Oh my gosh!" "It really is you!" A tall, white woman with bleach blond hair squealed. "I thought that was you in the parking lot the other day, but I wasn't sure, so I just didn't say anything." She squealed.

"Hello, Elaine." She said, hoping she made it sound friendly enough. Elaine was a woman she worked with, whose high pitched voice almost made her skin crawl. That wasn't why she didn't like her though, she didn't like the woman because she gossiped and started a lot of rumors. She always seemed to be in everyone's business. She had been a nurse in the ER with Carol, but luckily they didn't work together often.

"What are you doing here?" "I thought you moved after you…broke up with your fiancée and all." She made sure to quiet her words on the last part of that sentence. Like no one else needed to hear it.

She grimaced, she really didn't want to talk to this woman. "I did, but my parents were traveling through here to come visit me and my dad had a heart attack. So I've been down here with them."

"Oh no…..I'm so sorry to hear that." "Does Ed know you're in town."

"No, he doesn't and I'd appreciate it if he didn't." Carol said sternly.

"I just thought you might have told him. I mean you two were engaged. It might be comforting to have him here."

She was really getting annoyed with this woman and slightly worried. She knew Ed, in fact her cousin worked at the same repo place Ed had worked at. "I'm just fine without him here. I promise." She assured her. "I don't think we need to see each other and he doesn't need to know I was here."

"Oh, you know. I won't tell a soul." She giggled.

"Thanks." Carol nodded and turned to walk away.

"Oh, that guy that was in the car with you? Is he a family member?"

She turned back around, wishing this woman would just shut up and mind her own business. "He's an old friend from back home."

"Right, right. An old friend." The woman said suspiciously. "Do you kiss all your old friends like that?"

"Not that it's any of your business." Carol snapped. "But I kissed him goodbye on the cheek tonight as a thank you for being there for me while my dad almost died."

"I wasn't talking about tonight." The woman said, rolling her eyes. "I saw you kiss him in the parking lot the other day and how you strolled into the hospital holding hands after that. I was parked right beside you."

()()()

The three hour ride home had given Daryl a lot of time to think. He was still worried about Carol being down there without him, but she'd promised to call if she needed him. He just hated that it would take three hours to get there if she did need him. It was only two days though, and then she'd be back at home. He hadn't spent as much time with her as he had the last few days in a long time, and even though the circumstances were shitty, he was glad he had been there with her and he was able to be there for her. It had given them the chance to talk about a lot of things and get everything out in the open. The most important thing was that she'd said she loved him and that they could be together in time. He just really hoped that she didn't change her mind about that in the next two days. He knew her emotions had been sky rocketing when they had that talk, and a part of him was scared to death she'd re-think things.

Merle hadn't been there when Daryl had gotten home. He'd texted him and told him that he and Andrea had gone out for drinks. Daryl was starting to find it a little strange that he and Andrea were hanging out so much. Merle didn't usually keep sleeping with the same woman over and over again. He was slightly worried about how all of that would play out. Andrea was Dale's niece and they were still paying him for this shop. He didn't know how kindly Dale would take to Merle fucking his her. Especially if Merle ended up breaking her heart. Luckily, as long as Daryl had known Andrea she hadn't ever let herself get wrapped up in a guy enough to let him hurt her. He hoped like hell Merle didn't end up being that exception. He couldn't worry about that though, he had enough relationship issues of his own to worry with. He'd gone upstairs to get a shower and when he came back down Merle was back. He was laying on the couch watching TV.

"Good to have you back little brother." Merle said, looking up to watch Daryl file down the stairs.

"Yeah." Daryl grumbled as he finished making his way down the stairs.

"What the hell happened to your chest?" Merle snapped, as he saw the black and blue marks that lined it.

Daryl cursed to himself for not putting a shirt on after getting out of the shower. "Nothing." He mumbled.

"Looks like a whole lotta something to me." Merle demanded. "Tell me you didn't sleep with her while her dad was in the hospital."

"Do these look like fucking hickeys to you?" Daryl snapped.

"No, but she could be into some of that BDSM shit now for all I know."

"I didn't fucking sleep with her, okay?" Daryl said, slinging his arms.

"You seem a little agitated there." "Am I sensing some sexual frustration?" Merle snickered.

Daryl leaned over the counter and placed his head in his hands and let out a groan. "Shut up, Merle."

Merle cocked his brows. "So, that is it?" His brother said, knowingly. "Sleeping in a bed next to her all week got ya all riled up?"

"I don't wanna talk about it." "Alright."

"Too bad, because I wanna hear it." Merle said as he walked up beside his brother and slapped him hard in the chest on one of his bruises. "And I wanna know how the hell these got here."

"Ow, you bastard." Daryl said grabbing his chest, before slapping him back.

"Come on, baby brother. Tell Ole Merle all about your weekend."


	25. Chapter 25

Merle sat and listened as Daryl recounted every detail of the last four days with him. He exhaled deeply and ran his hands through his short hair. "I can't believe that bastard put his hands on her. If I ever see him, I'll teach that son bitch a lesson."

"Ain't a single part of me that don't wanna beat the bastard within an inch of his life. I didn't wanna come back home yet, all I can think about is her running into him down there and me not being there."

"Hey, she'll be fine. She's tough as hell and she's smart." Merle said as he placed a hand on his brother's shoulder.

Yeah, she better be." He growled.

Merle paused and shook his head. "She's right though, you can't just go hunt the asshole down. You'd do something stupid. Get yourself locked up and end up not being able to see her again."

"I know that. That's why I dropped it."

Merle let out a small chuckle. "I bet you sure as shit wish you woulda listened to me and drove back home that night to talk to her. I tried to tell you the day would come when you'd regret it."

Daryl glared at his brother and jumped up out of his seat "You trying to say it's my fault that this guy hit her?"

"Calm down, now. Ain't what I said." Merle said, sternly and jumped up as well. Now the two were standing just inches away from one another. "I just meant because now you know she felt the same way about you. That's all."

"Shouldn't you be trying to make me feel better?" "You suck as this." He scoffed.

"I ain't here to paint you pretty pictures and tell you stories about rainbows and butterflies. That ain't life. It's tough, you should be used to it by now. You made your damn bed back then and you had to lay in it….and it looks like you're gonna have to keep laying in it just a little bit longer."

"What's your point?" He spat, narrowing his eyes.

"My point is, you better just use that bed just for sleeping for the time being. Can't no good come from the shit you tried to pull this weekend…..You're dick got you into this mess in the first place."

()()()

Carol had been on edge ever since her run in with Elaine. She was terrified that she would end up telling Ed she had seen her, and even more terrified she'd tell him that she'd saw her kiss Daryl. The last thing she needed was for Ed to think she'd left him to be with another man. He was extremely possessive and jealous when they were together. She'd contemplated calling Daryl and telling him about her run in with that woman, but she decided against it. She was sure he'd probably drive back down there if he thought there was any chance that Ed would show up and cause trouble, and she already felt like she'd inconvenienced his life enough those four days he was with her. So when he'd called to let her know he got himself and her car home safe, she just didn't mention anything. Luckily for her, the next two days went by without incident. Ed never showed up and her dad was discharged. Lori and Rick had offered to let her parents stay there with them, but things were so cramped in that house to begin with. She just didn't see it working. Maggie and Glenn then offered to let Carol and her parents stay there and it made a lot of sense because there was so much room. Her plan was for them to all three stay there until the weekend and then she'd hopefully have a place. She had some listings that she was going to check out and Daryl had volunteered to go with her. She hadn't been at Maggie and Glenn's but a few hours now and her parents were already in bed, but she found herself unable to sleep.

"I haven't had a chance to ask you yet, but how are you?" Maggie said, as she entered the kitchen where Carol was sitting reading the paper.

Carol just shook her head and let out a nervous laugh. "Let's see, my dad almost died six days ago, then when he recovered he told Daryl I'd been engaged, Daryl got mad that I didn't tell him and we had a fight, I lost it and let him know how upset I really was with him and told him Ed hit me, he grabbed me and held me while I was crying, I hit him repeatedly, he told why he left that morning and that it was because he was scared and in love with me, I told him I had been in love with him too, he kissed me then we almost had sex until I saw the bruises I left on him while I was hitting him, he told me he's still in love me and wants us to be together, I told him I love him too but need some time, then to I had to stop him from finding Ed while we were down there and on top of everything I have to go back to work tomorrow after not having a minute to process any of this…I'm one more surprise away from a mental breakdown." Carol said, exacerbated. She sighed and laid her head down on the table.

Maggie scooted her chair closer to Carol and wrapped an arm around her. "I'm sorry I asked. I'm mentally and emotionally exhausted from just hearing it."

"Try living it." She huffed.

Maggie sat in silence with her friend for a few moments, keeping her arm draped around her for support. "Are you and Daryl okay?" She finally asked.

"He was so amazing through all of this with my dad. I mean, he was just there for me in every way. He'd hold me at night, he let me stay attached to his hip during the day. He never complained, not once. I basically had to force him to leave before I did…..When we talked about everything, really talked about it, his reasons made sense in this fucked up way. It still hurts and it doesn't change it, but I get it in a way….knowing how he was raised….knowing who he is."

"Do you wanna be with him?" She asked, softly.

"I do, Maggie, I really do….but my head and my heart are so screwed up right now. I'm sleep deprived and I'm exhausted and I've still got a lot of stuff I'm dealing with. I don't wanna jump into anything and risk it not working out….If we do this, when we do this, we both have to be 100% in. Because I can't handle losing him again."

()()()

Between working three 12 hour shifts, helping out around Maggie and Glenn's and trying to keep her eye on her parents, Carol hadn't felt like she'd had a moment to herself all week. She hadn't gotten to see Daryl much since she'd come back. He'd been by to have lunch with her once, but they were so busy at the shop it was hard for him to get away long enough to go eat with her. She had texted him a little bit, but their hours were so different and she was so exhausted by the time she got home each night she'd fallen asleep pretty quickly. Today was Saturday, and she was off for the first time in days. She and Daryl were going to look at places around town that were for rent. She had the deposit ready and was very hopeful to find a place and get moved in next week.

Daryl pulled up on his bike and saw Carol sitting on Maggie and Glenn's porch. He'd really missed seeing her and talking to her this week, and he was glad that he was going to get to spend a lot off time with her today, even if it was just going around to look at places. He gave her a smile as he joined her on the porch. "You ready to go?" He asked.

"More than ready." She said, retuning his smile.

He nodded. "Listen, I know you got a lot of places picked out that you wanna see, but I think I found one you might really like." "Do you care if we check it out first?"

She threw her hands up in the air. "As long as I get to spend the day with you and I don't have to think about anything stressful, I don't care where we go."

()()()

They'd taken his bike since he hadn't told her exactly where they were going yet, and he seemed to want it to be a surprise. As soon as he rounded the corner and made his way up the hill, she knew exactly what neighborhood they were going to. It was the one she and Rick grew up in. Once they reached the bottom of the hill, she couldn't help but look over to the house she grew up in. It was different now. The shutters were no longer blue, now they were gray. The house had a metal roof, and not shingles. The privacy fence was still there, but she couldn't see if the pool was. The yard was neatly cut, just like her dad had always kept it and the bushes were trimmed too. She felt a little shocked as he turned into her driveway. "This was my house." "What are we….what are we doing here?" She said, stunned as he switched the bike off and moved the kickstand up.

"Dale stopped in at the shop the other day. He saw it was for rent and told me about it. I figured you might want it." He told her softly.

Her mouth gaped open as memories of her childhood flooder her. She thought about the times she and Rick used to race their bicycles down that hill, how Daryl would sneak over and coming swimming with her during the middle of the night when they were teenagers, how Andrea got so drunk one night that she couldn't go home so Carol decided to sneak her into her place and she'd ended up vomiting in the bushes, how Lori had taken about thirty pregnancy tests in her bathroom and they had to burn them all in the fireplace so no one would fine them. She loved that house, and she'd been heartbroken when her parents sold it. "Have you talked to the owners?" "Is it in my budget?" "How many other people are interested?"

"It's in your budget and I told the people who own it that you grew up here and how important it was to you. They said you had first choice on it."

She put a hand over her mouth and tried to fight back tears of happiness. "Yes, of course I want it." She told him as she ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. "I can't believe you did this."

He smiled to himself and threw his arms around her too. He was so excited for her and it made him happy to see how happy it made her. He squeezed her tight and ended up picking her off the ground. She let out a scream and a laugh. "Come on, let's check out the inside. The landlord said it's a little different."

"I don't care how different it is. It's still the house that I grew up in and I still want it." She told him, as she took his hand and headed for the door.


	26. Chapter 26

**(I completely agree that it would be awesome to see the friendships between the female characters explored more in this show. I know the writers have an overall story to tell and have to focus on the plot, but it would be nice to see some girl bonding time on occasion. Thank you all for reading and reviewing. I had a lazy day and didn't have much to do, so I decided to get one more chapter in. I hope you enjoy this next one.)**

After exploring the inside of the house, Carol had found that what the landlord said was true, things were quite different on the inside. The sunroom was still there, but the new owners had put carpet down. The kitchen had been completely re-done. New cabinets, countertops and even a bar had been added. It was much more modernized now. What used to be a very large den that had a fire place in it had been split in two and remodeled to make a small fourth bedroom. There was still a den with a fire place, it was just half the size it was before. New tile had been put down in the bathrooms, new paneling put up, the bedrooms all had new doors on them and the carpet had been removed and replaced with wood flooring. Her room was still the same color that it used to be though, light blue. She liked the updates that the new owner had added. The house may not have looked the same, but it was still her home and it looked really good inside. She couldn't wait to move in. She'd signed a lease with the owner for six months and she immediately wanted to go and pick out furniture. She'd left everything she had but her clothes and personal belongings in Savannah when she left Ed, so she needed completely new everything for this house.

"Why in the hell did I agree to go shopping with you?" Daryl groaned, as he watched her circle the beds in the furniture store for the millionth time.

"Because you're my best friend." She smirked.

"I might be re-thinking that if you make me spend two more hours looking for a damn bedroom set." He scowled.

"It's barely been an hour so far, you're being dramatic." She rolled her eyes and walked over to a queen sleigh bed with a pillow top mattress.

"And it took an hour to pick out the furniture for the living room, and the stuff for the kitchen and the bathrooms, plus you still have to pick out stuff for the guest rooms."

"I'm only going to set up one guest room for my parents for now. I'm not worried about the other two rooms. All of our friends live close by." She told him, and then fell back onto the display bed. "I think this is the one." She smiled.

"Are you sure this time?"

"Oh yeah, I'm sure." She patted the bed for him to lay down and join her.

He walked over and laid down beside her, his legs hanging off the end and firmly planted on the floor. "Not too bad…almost as comfortable as my bed."

"Yeah…..almost." She said, as she rolled over to face him.

()()()

She'd been in the house for a little over a week now. All of her friends had come over after she first moved in and brought her little housewarming gifts and covered dishes. She'd finally gotten on a good sleeping schedule again and felt rested and a lot more relaxed. Her parents were settling in well, but they both seemed bored out of their minds. They were used to traveling and going places, not being holed up in a house. Her mom was keeping busy by cooking and doing the laundry, and in a way it was almost smothering to her. She was used to feeding herself and washing her own clothes, and her mom was treating her like she was a kid again. Then there was her dad, who was piddling around outside as much as he could while he recovered. He was going to cardiac rehab at the hospital here several times a week, but everything was looking good for him. They wanted him to make some diet and exercise changes long term to stay healthy. Her mom was already trying to incorporate the food changes, and it's safe to say he wasn't exactly thrilled. Having her parents back around was a bit of an adjustment, but she didn't see them much, and after almost losing her dad, she was trying her best to appreciate every minute with them. Besides, in a few more weeks they'd be on the road and it would be a while before she saw them again. During the past week she'd gotten to see Daryl several times. She'd go the shop on her days off to take lunch to him and Merle and she'd ended up hanging around for a bit and watching them work. She loved seeing him in his element. They hadn't talked any more about them though, they were just hanging out and taking things one day at a time.

Currently, it was after midnight and she was sprawled out on her bed reading a book and listening to music on her phone. It had just started raining a few minutes ago and she could hear the rain beating down hard on the tin roof. She was about to turn the page in her book when she heard a loud bang. She jumped, thinking that it was thunder, but then she heard it again and realized it was something tapping on her window. She threw the book down on the bed and walked over to the window. Sure, enough it was just what she'd expected to find.

'What in the hell are you doing?" It's pouring rain?" Carol asked, once she opened the window and saw Daryl at standing in the rain getting soaked.

"I see that." He growled. "Now let me in."

She rolled her eyes and lifted the window. She reached her arm out and helped pull him inside, just like she'd done a million times before. "Did you walk all this way in the rain?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

"It wasn't raining when I left the house." He mumbled.

"And you were walking here in the first place because?" She asked, curiously.

"You always said I could come over if I needed to." He shrugged.

She felt her stomach drop. She felt like something bad must have happened for him to walk all this way this late. "What's wrong?"

"Merle brought Andrea back to the house because Michonne was working on a case and was tired of hearing em all the time…..You know how close our bedrooms are and how small that house is. You can hear everything….and I mean everything."

She grimaced. "Ew….ew…..ew."

"Just be glad you weren't there." He laughed.

She laughed too and then noticed he was dripping all over her floor. "Clothes off, now."

"What?" He asked, his voice was confused and held a hint of nervousness

"You're soaking wet and your dripping all over the floor. Get them off now."

"What the hell am I supposed to wear?"

She reached into her dresser and pulled out a pair of Armstrong pajamas that were too big for her and threw them at him. "Put these on."

He looked them over, noticing they were men's. "Who's were they?" He asked, gruffly. His first thought was that they were Ed's and he wasn't wearing a damn thing that belonged to him.

"They were mine. The college used to hand free stuff out all the time when you'd go to campus activities…I was a broke college kid, I took what I could get…..they weren't his." She told him, knowing exactly what he was thinking. "Now, go change in the closet and I'll put your wet clothes in the dryer."

He nodded and went to the closet. He emerged moments later, wearing only what she'd just given him. He handed her his wet clothes all wadded up together. She'd taken them from him and walked into her utility room to get them drying. When she returned he was laying on her bed with his hands behind his head.

"I don't get it." She told him as she crawled over him and onto the other side of the bed. "You could have just driven here and you could have knocked on the front door. Hell, you could have even called first."

"I guess I felt like taking a walk down memory lane." He confessed. "You want me to go home?" He went to roll off the bed.

"I didn't say that." She told him and latched onto his arm and pulled him back in bed.

He hummed and let his head hit the pillow again. "I think Merle likes Andrea."

"Really?" "I just thought they were screwing around."

"Maybe, but I ain't never seen my brother fool with the same girl this much. If he just wanted sex he could find someone else."

"Andrea likes having a fuck buddy though. You know how much she and Shane screwed around back in high school with no strings attached."

"Yeah, I know…. I'm just saying it ain't Merle's thing to keep fooling with the same girl. Hell, he usually don't even go for girls like Andrea."

"What do you mean?" She asked, and turned towards him.

"Merle usually goes for the whore at the bar who'd fuck someone for booze or dope. Not some girl with a college education. That's why he's had the clap twice."

Carol's eyes grew wide. "You let her sleep with him knowing he had an STD?"

"He ain't got it no more…. I don't think anyway…besides, I was a little busy watching your drunk ass. I couldn't keep an eye on Andrea too."

"I was not that drunk." She defended, slapping his arm.

"You threw up on me and didn't remember what happened the next day." "Damn, how drunk do you usually get?" He teased, and playfully poked her in the side.

She giggled and kicked at his legs. "Stop. You know how ticklish I am on my ribs."

A smile spread across his face. "Where, right here?" He asked, going for the same spot again.

She jerked back and slapped his hands. "I said stop." She laughed.

"Nah." He went for it again and she grabbed both of his hands. They wrestled around a bit and he ended up with the advantage because he was stronger. He pinned her hands behind her head with one of his and was about to go for her ribs again, but he stopped when he saw how she was looking at him. Her breathing was deep from the way they'd just been playing around and her eyes were locked on him. They slid down his shirtless body and then up to his eyes and she bit at her bottom lip. He was hovering over her at this point. He let his eyes slide over her too, and suddenly became very aware of what she was wearing. She had on a tiny pair of shorts that barely covered her ass and a tank top. His eyes went up and down her smooth legs, then to chest, and slowly made their way back up to her eyes. By the time he finally reached her eyes again, he felt her lips go to his. He didn't do anything to stop it, he probably should have, but he didn't. Instead, he went with it and deepened the kiss. They were both on their sides, pressed against one another, and he felt her sink her hips further into his. He let his hand slowly start to glide up her leg, wondering if any minute she'd stop him. His heart was pounding, and she was pressed so close to him right now he could feel hers pounding too. She was running her hands up his chest and one of his hands was right on the edge of the bottom of her shorts now, while the other gripped her ass. He was about to move his hand under them when they heard the bedroom door open.

"Carol are you awake?" Her mother asked, as she flicked the light on. "Oh my God!" "Never mind. I didn't mean to interrupt. I didn't even know you were here." Her mom stammered before closing the door and darting away from the room.

Daryl quickly snatched his hands off her and buried his head in the pillow next to him.

Carol rolled over onto her back and placed her hands over her face. "I can't believe my mom just walked in that." She groaned, her face turning red from embarrassment.

"Me either." He mumbled. His face still hidden in the pillow. He stayed like that for several minutes before turning to face her. "I'm sorry about that….I should….I should probably go." For the second time tonight he went to roll off of her bed, but this time he was being serious. He felt like an ass for almost sleeping with her again when they clearly weren't a couple yet.

She grabbed his arm once more. "Stay….please." She begged. The desperation clear in her voice.

He searched her eyes, looking for an indication of what was going on inside of her head. "You're not mad at me?" He asked, hesitantly.

"Daryl, I kissed you first. I'm an adult and I knew what I was doing. Just like I knew what I was doing that first night we were together. You were drunker than I was then. If I didn't want it to happen I would have told you one of the many times you asked me if I wanted to stop. You have to stop feeling guilty every time you touch me."

He took a deep breath. "I just don't wanna screw things up."

"I know you don't and neither do I….What almost happened probably wasn't smart right now. I'm not asking you to stay to do that. It'd be pretty weird now anyway knowing my mom would know what was happening and all. " She laughed. "I just….I just want you here next to me. I sleep better when you are."

"Yeah…me too." He whispered, as he pulled her close. He wrapped an arm around her waist and nestled his head on her chin."

"I'm sorry I kissed you….I don't know what I was thinking." She whispered back, as she placed her hand over the one he had wrapped around his waist.

"I already told you that you could kiss me whenever you wanted. You ain't gotta be sorry."


	27. Chapter 27

When Carol awoke the next morning and rolled over in bed she was startled to find Daryl wasn't there next to her. She shot up in bed, instantly assuming that he must have crawled out of the window once she fell asleep. Suddenly, she felt sadness wash over her. Sure, they hadn't had sex, so it wasn't like he'd just hit it and quit it, but he told her he would stay. She was worried he'd freaked out and left because of things getting serious and her mom walking in on them. She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her head on them. She had a feeling she'd just caused them to take two huge steps backwards. Then, she heard the toilet flush and her bathroom door swing open. She popped her head up.

"I think I just pissed for five minutes straight." He laughed, as he leaned against the wall. He noticed how she was sitting, legs pulled up close to her chest, her arms tightly wrapped around her knees. Something was bothering her. "You alright?" He asked, softly, shifting further against the wall and crossing his arms over his chest. He was worried that what happened last night was weird for her this morning.

She let a smile curl to the edge of her lips with the realization that he was still there. "It's nothing. I'm fine….you know me, I'm just not a morning person."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure." She nodded.

"Alright." He moved away from the wall and took a seat on the end of the bed. "You think my clothes are dry?"

"They should be. I forgot to check them last night, but I'll go get them."

He nodded and watched her walk off. His eyes lingered on her until she was out of the door completely. He fell back on the bed and let out loud sigh. Making out, sharing a bed, being around her while she was dressed like that. This was killing him. Not fucking telling her he loved her regularly was killing him. He'd been so scared to say those words, but once he said them he found that he wanted to tell her all the time now. He'd promised not to push her. That he was ready when she was, but they'd once again ended up making out and getting handsy. If her mom hadn't of opened that door then it wouldn't have stopped there, he sure as hell wouldn't have stopped it. He couldn't think clearly when he was around her anymore.

"They're dry." She told him as she entered the room and tossed his clothes at him. "Get dressed, my mom's cooking breakfast."

His eyes grew wide. "I can't go in there and have breakfast with your parents."

"Why not?" "You spent four days with them while my dad was in the hospital."

"You're mom walked in on us last night. I was shirtless. We were making out. I was about to put my hand up your shorts." He retorted.

"And you think it will look better if you just jump out of my window?" She frowned up and moved her hands over her chest.

"She's gonna think we did it." He whined. "How can I look your mom in the eye now that she thinks I fucked you?"

"She already thought that," She threw her hands up "and newsflash, you already did."

()()()

Daryl grudgingly put his clothes on and made his way into the kitchen with her. She had a point, her mom saw what she saw. He couldn't change that and it would look bad if he dipped out of her window. He didn't want her parents to think he was using her, but he was worried about breakfast. He felt like after that talk her dad had with him at the hospital that they would have questions, lots of questions. And he wasn't sure he had the answers to those yet. Carol was still figuring things out.

"Morning, kids." Her mom said with a smile as she stood at the stove fixing plates.

"Morning." They replied in unison, as they took a seat at the table.

"When'd you get here?" Her dad asked as he walked in the room and looked over to Daryl. "Or did you climb through the window last night?" He laughed. "You're a little big for that closet now, don't you think?"

Daryl nervously looked to Carol and then to her mom.

"He went on an early morning run. Just stopped by to grab breakfast." Mrs. Pelitier answered for them.

Carol mouthed a thank you to her mother and placed a hand on Daryl's leg under the table.

"Who the hell runs in jeans and boots?" Her dad replied, looking at them suspiciously.

"Wow mom. That looks so good. I can't wait to eat it." Carol said, trying hard to change the subject.

"Yeah, it looks great." Daryl agreed. "Is that turkey bacon?"

"It is, and egg whites."

()()()

They'd managed to make it through breakfast without her dad asking any more questions. She'd gone to help her mom clear the table after.

"Thanks for not telling dad that Daryl stayed her last night….and for not mentioning what you saw."

"You think I'm gonna give him another heart attack?" Her mother laughed. "He likes Daryl now, he really does, but he's still your dad and he's not gonna like the idea of you fooling around with a boy you're not even dating."

"We aren't fooling around."

"Honey, I'm old, not blind."

"I mean, that just happened. He didn't come over for that. And it didn't even happen, really. You walked in and we stopped."

Her mother shrugged and went to work cleaning the dishes. "Just be careful….I'm not ready for grandbabies yet."

()()()

Daryl sat in the living room making small talk with her dad while she and her mom worked on cleaning up the kitchen. He felt awkward and wondered if her dad had figured out he'd been her last night. He was relieved when Carol finally came to get him and told him she'd give him a ride home.

"See, breakfast wasn't that bad." "Was it?" She smirked

"Could've been worse I guess."

"No you're right. It could have. You could have been in the kitchen with my mom after, talking about it and being told to make sure I don't get knocked up." She laughed.

Daryl let out a laugh too, but his was more of a nervous laugh. He realized that both times they'd almost gotten together recently he didn't have a condom and if he could have had her right then and right there, it would have been the farthest thing from his mind.

"You know, I'm glad you stayed last night. It was nice."

"Yeah." He said, and started chewing on his bottom lip.

"I've got to go meet up with Lori and all the girls to try on bridesmaid dresses, but if you want, we can hang out later."

He thought about it. He wanted to see her, he wanted to hang out with her, but if they kept being alone on beds something was going to happen. "You wanna go bowling?" He figured there was no way that could end up turning sexual and he could invite other people too, for good measure.

()()()

She dropped Daryl off at his place. She'd agreed to meet him later on for bowling. She wasn't particularly good at bowling, but it was something to do and he'd mentioned inviting Rick and the others. It'd be good for everyone to get together and go out and do something. Now she was at the bridal store with Lori, Andrea, Michonne and Maggie picking out what they were going to wear to the wedding. Lori had already picked out her dress, and she had a color theme she wanted all of her bridesmaids to follow, but she was going to let them pick out whatever style they wanted. The color theme was violet.

"I can't believe you'll be married in a few months." Maggie gushed

"Well, we've only been together almost ten years." Lori chuckled.

"Hey, don't be hard on yourself for waiting so long. Not everyone wanted to get married right out of high school like Glenn and Maggie." Andrea joked.

"Oh shut up." Maggie scolded her. "I know you're all anti-love, anti-relationship and all, but Glenn and I knew that we wanted to be together forever and it's worked out for us. I don't regret."

"I'm not anti-love…I'm anti-get your heart broken and cry over a pint of ice cream while your ex goes off and puts his dick into the next girl that's waiting in line."

Everyone stopped and stared at Andrea for a minute. They knew she wasn't one for relationships, but as far as they knew she had never been in one before. She sounded like a scorned woman right then.

"Stop looking at me like that. I'm not talking about me…remember how upset Michonne was when Mike dumped her junior year."

"Hey." Michonne barked.

"Sorry, sweety, but you were a mess….and it broke my heart to see what he put you through. Then we all saw how screwed up Carol was when Daryl left and they weren't ever even together."

Carol looked down and frowned. She hated that being brought up, especially when she was trying her best to forget it and move forward to hopefully starting a relationship with him. Andrea didn't know that though, Maggie was the only one she'd told what had happened when she was in Savannah. Of course, if Maggie knew, she was sure Glenn knew by now. Those two told each other everything.

"Andrea, shut up." Lori snapped, when she looked over and saw Carol looking down and Michonne looking pissed.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset anyone and I don't mean to knock your relationship with Rick or Maggie's with Glenn. I think it's wonderful you guys found love. I just don't think that all of that's for me. Sleeping with Merle is so much easier than letting my feelings get involved. He can't hurt me if I don't care."

"The fact that you even brought Merle into this conversation proves your feelings are a lot more involved than you think they are." Michonne pointed out


	28. Chapter 28

**(I can't sleep. I'm not looking forward to where I have to go in the morning, nor am I looking forward to where I'll spend the majority of my time the next four months. So, to deal with this, I'm just going to sit in bed and write instead of sleeping. I find it very therapeutic. Excuse all the venting. I just like to bitch sometimes, lol. I had an idea for this story that came across me tonight, but I'm not sure if I want to do it or not. Anyway, I'm rambling. Here's the next chapter. Enjoy.)**

Andrea sat at the bar, stirring her Martini and watching the olive swirl around in the glass. "Are you going to tell me why you really invited me here?" She asked, turning her attention away from her drink and to the person sitting next to her.

"We're friends." "We can't just go out and have a drink?" Carol innocently mused, taking a sip from the fruity iced margarite in front of her.

Andrea tilted her head and smiled. "Honey, I'm a lawyer. Bullshit is my game, not yours. So are bars, by the way." "Since when you do you go out for drinks?" "House parties are more your thing."

"Hey, I went to bars in college with my roommates."

"That was college. We all experiment a little during that time of our lives." She smirked. "Come on though, we both know you didn't come here to pick up guys. You're obviously still smitten with the younger Dixon."

Carol rolled her eyes and took a long sip of her drink. "Why do you act like I have some ulterior motive for wanting to come out with you tonight?"

"Because I know you. If you didn't have something you wanted to talk to just me about we could have met up at my place and had some wine. Michonne lives there too, though. So it has to be something you didn't want to discuss in front of her. Plus, you ordered a drink with liquor in it. Tequila, specifically. You needed hard liquor. So, it's something you aren't exactly sure you want to talk about." She crossed her legs and placed her hands over her chest, flashing a smug look at her friend.

"You're pretty good." Carol admitted. She was impressed that Andrea picked apart the situation so well.

"Seven years of college and thousands of dollars in debt weren't all for nothing." She said, clicking her tongue. "So, tell me what's up?"

"This stays between us okay?" She said, scanning her eyes around the bar for anyone they might know.

"Yeah…okay."

"I mean it, Andrea. I'm talking to you about this because you'll understand."

"It's between us….I promise." Andrea placed her hands on her lap and prepared to give her full attention. This was obviously something important and something Carol needed advice on. It wasn't that they weren't close friends. Everyone in the group was close, but they also cliqued off with each other and had some things they'd share with certain people before others. Andrea and Michonne were always the go to for one another first. They'd gone to the same elementary school and she was her first best friend. Carol was always closest with Rick and Daryl, but if she needed girl talk she usually went to Lori or Maggie first. It was nothing personal, they all loved each other deeply.

Carol nodded. She felt a little relieved, but she was still a little nervous about bringing this up. She felt like Andrea would understand the most out of everyone, but she could be wrong. "Back in high school, you and Shane fooled around a lot and managed to keep your friendship…..normal…" "How'd you keep things from being….weird?"

"You wanna fool around with Daryl?" She shouted.

"Good job, Andrea. It'll be just between you, me and the entire bar." She snapped.

"Sorry." She replied, taking her tone down to barely above a whisper. "Are you sure you wanna do that?" "I mean, with your history and all?"

"Well, I've almost done it twice in the last three weeks…"

"What?" She shouted again.

"Seriously, Andrea?" She glared at her. "I would have been better off talking to Glenn. He knows how to whisper."

"Again sorry….I just wasn't expecting that." How did it happen?" "When?" "Which one of you stopped it?"

"The first time was when my dad was in the hospital. He started it and I stopped it. The second time I started it…and my mom stopped it." Her face crinkled up and she cringed thinking about her mom seeing that.

"Ew to your mom walking in…and he made a move while your dad was in the hospital…that's low, even for a Dixon."

"It wasn't like that…it's complicated."

"How so?"

"It just is."

"I can't give you proper counsel if you don't give me the whole story."

"Don't you lawyer me."

"Tell me what happened.."

"Fine." She grumbled. "My dad told him I was engaged. He got mad so then I got mad that he was mad. I told him how bad he hurt me when he left, he told me he was in love with me and was scared. That's why he left. He felt bad about taking my virginity, I told him not to and that I loved him to. He kissed me. Things got heated. I may have hit him when we were fighting and when I took off his shirt I saw the bruises, got upset and totally shut down."

Andrea turned her drink up and took a long sip. "First off, go Daryl, who knew he had it in him to make a move, and second somehow you think sleeping with him is going to make this whole confusing situation better?"

"He isn't as awkward as you all think he is and I'll have you that he knows what he's doing…..but that's not the point…..I came to talk to you about this because you do stuff like this all the time. I figured you'd understand."

"I do not do stuff like this all of the time." She corrected. "I have casual sex with people I have no emotional attachment to all the time. I don't sleep with guys I have feelings for."

"You sleep with Merle."

"This is not about me and Merle….and I do not have feelings for him." She scoffed.

"I'm going to humor you and pretend you're right for now." She smiled.

"Whatever…anyway, back to you and Daryl. I just don't think hooking up with him is the best idea. You should talk to him, see if he wants to date. You love him."

"He does wanna date. He told me at the hotel that he still loves me and he wants to be with me."

"Then why are we even here talking about it right now?" "You could be at home banging your boyfriend." She laughed.

"It's not that easy." She replied, sadly.

"He loves you, Carol. He screwed up when we were kids, you can't hold that against him forever." She placed a hand on her friends shoulder.

"Like you're holding something against Merle for something some other guy did?" She countered.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You hang out with him a lot. The two of you go out for drinks, he stays late at your house, you spent the night at his place, he came bowling with us…Merle doesn't go bowling."

"I'm not holding anything against Merle…and no other guy did anything." She tried to keep her voice clear and confident, but her defenses were cracking.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of….having your heart broken. It happens to everyone. Unless you're freaks of nature like Rick and Lori and Glenn and Maggie." She scowled.

"No one broke my heart." She protested.

***Flashback***

 _Andrea was standing in the hallway talking to Carol between classes. It was junior year of high school and prom was right around the corner. Andrea was going on and on about the dress she wanted to wear and how she couldn't wait for Shane to ask her to prom. The two of them weren't officially dating or anything, but they'd been hanging out a lot the last few months and they'd even been sleeping together. Andrea felt sure that he'd ask her to prom and that they'd end up being an official couple. She saw Shane walk by and quickly turned her attention away from the conversation with Carol._

" _Can I catch up with you later?" "I'm gonna see if Shane wants to hang out after school." Andrea told her._

" _Yeah, no problem. I'm gonna go meet up with Daryl anyway before class. I'm about to begin operation convince him it's a good idea to go to prom and take me."_

" _Good luck with that." Andrea laughed. "You're so not getting his redneck ass dressed up you know it."_

 _Carol laughed too at the thought. "You're probably right, but I'm gonna try anyway."_

" _See you later." Andrea called out as she jogged to catch up with Shane. "Hey, you." She said, as leaned into him and pressed a kiss against his lips._

 _He recoiled back a bit. "Hey, Andrea."_

" _What's wrong?"_

" _Nothing… nothing."_

" _Okay." She said, eyeing him cautiously due to his strange behavior. "So, what do you wanna do after school?" "I was thinking you could to my place. My parents won't be home."_

" _Nah. I got plans today."_

" _What about tomorrow then?" "My mom's working late all week."_

" _I don't think so." He shook his head and tried to walk off._

" _Well, why not?" She asked annoyed, crossing her arms over her chest._

 _He spun back around to face her. "I'm hanging out with Jessi after school. We're kind of talking right now."_

" _I thought we were talking." She snapped._

" _We were…I mean we are…look we never said we were exclusive. I told you I wasn't looking for anything serious. You said you weren't either."_

 _She swallowed hard and forced herself to gain her composer. "No…no I wasn't…it's not a big deal….in fact Phillip Blake was asking me to hang out with him on Friday. I just figured I'd try and make some time for you before then."_

" _Maybe we can get together sometime next week then?"_

" _Yeah...maybe."_

***End of Flashback***

"Maybe I'm wrong." She said throwing her hands up. She realized she probably had a better chance of hell freezing over than getting Andrea to admit that she'd ever had feelings for anyone. "But I still think you like Merle and the two of you would make sense together."

"Yeah, well I still think you're being ridiculous for not jumping at the chance to be with Daryl when it's all you've ever wanted." She countered. She didn't like that the topic of conversation had shifted over to her and Merle and that she was trying to dissect what they were.

"I told you, it's complicated."

"Not really…..You don't trust him again. Not completely."

"I trust him…" She tried convince herself it was the 100% truth as she said it.

She shook her head. "To an extent….but he's Daryl. His top two emotional response are to run or fight. When he's mad he chooses to fight. When he's scared, he runs. You think he'll get scared again and run. Not after sex this time maybe, but when things get tough."

She placed her mouth on the straw of her drink and took several more long sips. Whoever had made this drink went heavy on the tequila and she was thankful. She needed a little liquid comfort right now. "I know that's not fair…I know he's grown up a lot since then. I know he regrets it."

"I get it. You don't have to explain it to me, trust me….he loves you though. He always has, it's just in his own little screwed up way. I mean hell, the poor boy has only slept with one girl since you and he felt guilty after. Like he was cheating on you."

"What?" "Who told you that?"

"Shit." Andrea groaned. "See, this is why I don't like talking about important things when I drink."

"Did Merle tell you that?" "Do the two of you talk about us?" Carol demanded

"We don't talk about the two of you….I just asked him what he meant that morning after he said that Daryl hadn't slept with anyone in years….Don't tell him I told you that….Merle told me not to say anything."


	29. Chapter 29

**(I wanted to write a chapter sooner, but it was a busy week. Thanks to bad weather, I had some free time pop up unexpectedly. Thanks for reading and reviewing. Enjoy.)**

It was late at night on a Friday evening and instead of hanging out with his friends or Carol or doing anything else, Daryl found himself stuck at the shop with Merle. Some client over at Herschel's vet clinic had managed to smash into his truck after their dog sailed out of their rolled down window and the dumbass panicked and sailed out of moving car after the dog. Normally, he'd question why the fuck someone was driving with their window down the week before Christmas anyway, but apparently Georgia hadn't got the memo that it was supposed to be winter yet. So, thanks to the bipolar ass weather, the dumbass dog that jumped out of the window, and the even fucking dumber owner that jumped out of the moving car he was going to spend his Friday night fixing Herschel's truck. Herschel had promised to make it worth their while if he could have his truck back by Saturday morning, and they'd told him no problem. However, the parts company hadn't delivered on Thursday like they'd promised. Instead, they delivered right before closing tonight. They told Herschel what happened and he'd asked if they could still get the truck to him by tomorrow morning. Merle readily agreed, because he knew there was a few extra hundred bucks waiting if they did. The only thing is, Merle hadn't really done a damn thing to help with the truck all afternoon. He'd pretty much just sat around and handed Daryl tools or fucked around on the internet claiming he was ordering parts. He did go on a tow run earlier, ironically enough for the Sherriff's department. Rick had arranged for their shop to do all the tows for drunk drivers and shit like that. Who the hell would have ever thought the law and Merle Dixon would be working together in any type of way?

"Are you going to fucking help me at all or are you just going to stand there and drink your damn milkshake?" Daryl snapped, as he chunked a tool across the room.

Merle was sitting a few feet away from Daryl on an old tailgate that they had attached to the wall and converted to a seat. He had been scrolling on the laptop and sipping a milkshake he'd brought back along with food from Lori's. "What the hell's your problem?" Merle retorted as he slid the laptop to the side and stood up.

"My problem is you ain't done nothing but sit on your ass all night while I do all the work on this truck you volunteered us to get done by tomorrow." Daryl leveled his eyes on Merle, not bothering at all to hide the annoyance in his tone.

"I towed some drunk guy's car and I've been ordering stuff we need. We both know you can get that shit done faster than me and if we try and do it at the same time I'll only get in your way…..You've been about as moody as bipolar bitch on her period this week. Why the fuck are you so pissed off?"

"I ain't." Daryl grumbled.

"Oh, bullshit. You're walking around all pissed off like there's a stick up your ass. Being snappy, throwing shit, sulking. Only time I've seen you in a good mood is when Carol stops by or you're talking to her on the phone. At first I figured you two ended up fighting about something stupid, but you're just a peach when she's around. So I got no clue what the fuck's going on with you."

Daryl rolled his eyes and went back to work on the truck. It was true, he hadn't been in the best mood this week, Not that he was ever the kind to go around smiling all the damn time, but he was normally calm, quiet, relaxed. This week everything agitated him. He was frustrated. Extremely fucking frustrated. Frustrated because Merle wouldn't help him with this truck, frustrated because the parts had come in late, frustrated because of that damn dog and its owner, but none of that had to do with why he'd been pissy all week. In all actuality, he was just fucking frustrated in general. Ever since last week when he'd spent the night at Carol's and her mom had walked in on them he'd been in a mood. He wanted her, he wanted her so fucking bad and he'd been so close. Did it make him feel like an asshole that he was upset he hadn't got to screw her? Of course it did, and in the long run he knew it was good that both times they'd almost done that it had been halted….but he was fucking horny. Then, there was the fact that he was frustrated because he wanted to be with her so bad and he couldn't. He just wanted them to be together. He wanted to kiss her whenever he saw her and fall asleep holding her at night like he had a week ago. He wanted to fucking tell her he loved her, but he couldn't. He'd promised not to push her and that he'd wait until she was ready. And it wasn't like he was mad at her for not being ready. He understood, he really did, but it was all just….. fucking frustrating.

"Why don't you chill out, take a break and grab some food. I brought you a milkshake too." Merle offered and held out a bag.

Daryl walked over and grabbed the bag from Merle. He pulled the milkshake out first and took a seat beside his brother. He was fidgeting and started chewing on the straw.

Merle watched him curiously. He noticed how tense and rigid he was. He'd been that way all week. "I get it." He smirked. "It's getting a little hard to keep your dick in your pants. Leaving the house when I was plowing Andrea and spending the night with Carol. Must've killed you knowing you had to lay there all night and couldn't be doing the same thing."

"Could if I tried." He mumbled.

"I done told you, you can't do that shit right now." Merle growled.

"I don't go around telling you where to put your shit. Why are you always so worried me and Carol? Why don't you mind your own business and worry about you and Andrea?"

"Because I'm trying to help you not screw shit up. And there ain't no me and Andrea. We're just fucking."

"You ain't touched another girl in two months."

"The pussies good. Ain't no reason to go after another one right now." He shrugged.

"Yeah, whatever."

"I don't catch feelings, boy. Never have and never will. Stop trying to turn this shit around on me too. We were talking about you."

"I'm done talking about it." He hissed.

"Alright." He said and snickered to himself.

"What's so funny?" He glared.

"I just find it hilarious you've been fine living like a monk most of your damn life and now that you want a piece you can't have it."

Daryl watched as Merle moved his milkshake up to his mouth. Just as he was about to take a sip he slapped it out of his brother's hand. "I hope you get the damn clap again." He muttered as he walked back over to the truck.

"Fuck you!" Merle shouted and flipped him off. "I'll just drink the rest of yours."

Daryl didn't even answer him. That's the best thing to do when you're tired of talking to Merle Just ignore him. He can't argue with you if you're not talking. He was about to start working on the truck again when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He assumed it was Carol, no one else ever texted him this late. He was surprised to see it was actually from Andrea.

" _I'm at O'Malley's. Come get me."_ Her massage read.

He crinkled his eyebrows wondering why the hell she sent him that. He assumed she meant it for Merle. _"Think you got the wrong Dixon."_ He replied.

" _D and M aren't anywhere near each other in the alphabet. I know who I texted, Daryl.…"_

Okay, so she knew she was texting him. He found that weird, it wasn't that they weren't friends or anything, but he had no idea why she'd be texting him to come get her. Michonne was her roommate. She could have asked her. Plus, she was screwing his brother. The last thing he needed was someone seeing him pick Andrea up drunk from a bar. This town wasn't that big and he could hear the shit getting started. _"I'm working on Herschel's truck. I'll send Merle to come get you."_

" _Carol's here at the bar with me. We've had a few drinks and word is that road blocks are bad tonight. Just come get us."_

He let out a sigh. He really wanted to get this truck done, but since Carol was with her he felt like he needed to go too. He didn't know how drunk she was, but he wanted to make sure she hadn't gotten anywhere near the level she was on at Maggie's. _"Be there in ten."_ He replied. He stopped what he was doing and moved away from the truck once again. "I need your keys." He told Merle.

"Why?"

"Because I gotta go get Carol and Andrea. They're at O'Malley's and they've both been drinking. They don't wanna leave because of all the road blocks."

Merle's eyebrows shot up. "I'll ride too."

()()()

He scanned the bar as he walked in. He didn't see Andrea, but he spotted Carol sitting in a stool all by herself, sipping on a drink.

"Where the hell's Andrea." Merle barked.

"I don't know. Sure she's here somewhere." He shrugged, as he walked over to where Carol was sitting. Merle walked off in another direction to a more crowded area of the bar in search of Andrea. Carol hadn't noticed him yet, and he felt like sneaking up on her. He slowly approached the seat beside her. He decided he wanted to use some cheesy pick up line to be funny. He'd never actually used one before, but he'd heard Merle use plenty. The sad thing is, he'd seen it work. He didn't want to go with anything too lewd, so he used the tamest one he could think of. "You look familiar, have we had sex before?

Her head shot up when she heard his voice and her mouth gaped a little bit at the words that just came out of his mouth. She watched him take a seat beside her and flash a nervous grin. He'd had an air of confidence as he spoke those words, but his red face showed her that he was re-thinking them now. She saw him look down and bite his lip. She figured he thought he'd made an ass of himself. "Not that I re-call….If we did it must not have been that good." She spat back with a devilish grin.

His face fell a little at her words. He knew by her smile that she was just fucking with him and playing along, but it stung a little. He knew that their first time probably hadn't been that great for her, he hadn't had a clue what he was doing and he'd pretty much winged it the entire time. Sometimes he wondered what it would be like when they finally did get together again. What if her prick ex was better than him? He didn't want things to get awkward or her to feel bad for some joke he started though, so he sucked it up and pushed all of those feelings to the side. "Shut up." He mumbled, as he nudged her shoulder.

She let out a laugh and looked up at him, a smile spread across her face. "What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Andrea asked me to come get you two?" He stated, like she obviously should have known. "She said you two didn't need to be driving."

Carol looked down at her drink. It was the third one of the night. She felt a little buzzed, not drunk, but buzzed enough she shouldn't drive. "Andrea was right." She giggled, as she slurped the last bit of drink through the straw.

His eyes met hers. They were glassy, but her speech was okay. She wasn't wasted or anywhere near it. He was glad he wouldn't have to carry her into her house drunk since her parents were still living there. "Where is Andrea anyway?"

"Over there." Carol pointed towards a mechanical bull at the other end of the bar. "

His eyes darted to the opposite end of the bar and sure enough, there she was. Merle and a host of other guys were watching. "I thought she was ready to go home?"

She shrugged. I don't know. She didn't even tell me she asked you to come get us….It looks like she's a little busy….Do you want a drink?"

"One of us has to drive home. You realize that, right?"

()()()

They sat at the bar talking until Andrea got done riding the bull. She and Merle walked up and joined her and Daryl. The four of them sat around talking for a good while.

"I'm ready to call it a night." Andrea finally declared. "Did you guys bring the truck?"

"Yeah. We should all four be able to squeeze in. The ride isn't far….You can sit in my lap if you want." Merle replied, looking over at Andrea.

She smirked and licked her lips. "You wanna come back to my place?" Michonne should be asleep by now.

Carol and Daryl stood there with their arms crossed. Daryl cleared his throat to remind his brother that they were still there. "So, you just want me to drop you two off there then?"

"Carol drove us here. Why don't you take her car and Merle can just take the truck with him." Andrea suggested.

"How the hell am I supposed to get home then?" He barked.

"You can take the car with you and bring it back to me in the morning if you want." Carol offered.


	30. Chapter 30

**(I don't own TWD. I don't own any artist or song I mention. And fair warning that this chapter is going to bring up some past issues from when they hadn't seen each other. It was hard to write, but I felt like it was important. Please read and review and I hope you enjoy.)**

"How'd you and Andrea end up at the bar?" Daryl asked, as the two were driving home in her car.

"We just wanted to meet up for a drink and have some girl time. Somehow for me it turned into three and for her it turned into six." She laughed. "I'm surprised she didn't break her neck on that mechanical bull. Did you see how hard she hit her head when it threw her off?"

"Yeah, she's gonna be sore as hell tomorrow." He snorted."

She shook her head, imagining the killer headache her friend would be sporting in the morning. "Do you wanna hang out before you take me home?"

He glanced over at her, contemplating what he should say. He'd like to, but he really needed to finish the truck. Besides, it was after midnight. There wasn't anything they could do that wouldn't mean going to one of their places alone watching a movie in a damn bed together. "I wanna….but I gotta finish Herschel's truck. He's supposed to pick it up in the morning and I was in the middle of finishing up with it when Andrea asked me to pick y'all up."

"Okay." She said, disappointment evident in her voice. "Would it be okay if I hung around with you while you finished it?"

"You sure you wanna do that? You'll be pretty bored while I'm working."

"I'm not tired yet and I don't have anywhere else to be….besides, I like watching you work." She mumbled as she fiddled her hands together.

()()()

She sat there watching him while he worked on the truck, it was something she'd done a lot this past week. Just hanging around the shop with him and Merle in her free time. They'd also gone bowling with Rick, Lori, Merle and Andrea and he'd came and had lunch with her and dinner with her parents during the week, but she noticed he was avoiding being alone with her like he'd catch the plague if it happened. She knew it had to do with them making out the previous week. He wasn't acting mad and he wasn't acting weird towards her. He had just intently made sure nothing would leave them in a room alone together. She wasn't sure if he thought she'd try something or if he didn't trust himself not to try anything, but she was certain that he wanted to sleep with her just as much as she wanted to sleep with him and he was trying to make sure that didn't happen until she told him she wanted to be with him.

Part of her found that extremely sweet and endearing, and the other part of her wanted to throw him up against the wall and rip off that T-shirt he was wearing. She'd expected Andrea to understand that she wanted to sleep with him, but wasn't quite ready to be with him again. She didn't know why, but she needed one person to tell her it wasn't a bad idea and it wouldn't mess things up. Unfortunately for her, Andrea didn't think it was a good idea and told her to just go ahead and start a relationship with him. Which was ironic coming from a person who refused to get in one herself.

Looking back over tonight, it may not have been best to talk to Andrea about this at all, because she'd told her something else she didn't want to hear. That Daryl had slept with another girl. Thinking about it made her feel sick to her stomach. She knew she should just be glad that it had only been one, but the thought of him with anyone else hurt, it physically hurt. And she knew she had no right for it to upset her, because she'd been with someone else too, hell she had planned to marry someone else. She saw how hurt he was after he found out. She should just be glad that he had never loved anyone else, but then again, she couldn't see him sleeping with someone he didn't have some type of feelings for. She had a hard time imagining him being that comfortable with another girl unless he trusted her and felt something for her. She felt her stomach knot up more. She didn't know why she was thinking about this, she'd ordered a drink after Andrea and told her to take the edge of the news off. She'd pushed it out of her mind and decided she wasn't going to think about it. It wasn't like she could ever bring it up anyway, she promised Andrea she wouldn't say anything. She felt hypocritical for being hurt and upset, but she couldn't help the way it made her feel. The worst part of thinking about it was wondering if he'd stayed there with the girl after. If this girl got the decency of him saying goodbye before he left.

She kept trying to tell herself it didn't matter what had happened. What mattered was that she loved him and he loved her. But Andrea was right, a large part of her was terrified that if she went there with him, if they were together and she completely gave her heart to him, that something would happen and he'd get scared and bolt. She didn't know how to convince herself that wouldn't happen. It was strange, how he could make her feel so safe and at home, yet so completely helpless and alone too. Remembering how she felt when she woke up and he was gone was the worst feeling ever, worse than when Ed hit her, worse than when she realized how truly shitty he had treated her the last two years of her life. Because she'd never completely let herself love or trust Ed. She trusted Daryl more than anyone back then, she loved him more than anyone. But touching him, kissing him, falling asleep next to him, the way she felt at night when they were asleep next to each other and somehow they'd moved apart and he would scoot closer to her and wrap an arm around her again, that was the best feeling ever. Just hearing his voice made her feel better if she was having a bad day. She had days the past few weeks when all she wanted to do was tell him she loved him and she was ready, but somehow the bad memory kept creeping its way into her head and changing her mind. She hated the internal battle going on inside her head. She wished she knew how to stop it, and part of her had thought that if they slept together again, if he was there when she woke up the next morning, that maybe would help.

"You ready to go?" She heard him ask.

"Huh?" She replied.

"I'm done with the truck. Are you ready to go home?" He repeated, slower this time.

"Oh, yeah." She glanced over at Herschel's truck. She was impressed with the job he had done. You couldn't tell it had ever been wrecked. "Looks really good." She told him and offered a small smile.

"It better. He had just finished paying this damn thing off." He looked at the truck and then back over to her. Something was off. She'd been in a good mood when he picked her up. She was smiling and joking, but the last thirty minutes she'd been quiet. Too quiet, and she just looked….sad. "You alright?" He asked.

"I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Just getting a little tired."

He nodded. He was tired too. Fucking exhausted after basically working more than 12 hours today. "I'll lock up and we'll get out of here so we can get to bed….I swear I'm gonna kick Merle's ass for not helping me with this shit."

()()()

He pulled her car under her carport and switched the lights off. He'd decided that he'd just leave the car there and walk home so she'd have it if she needed it. She'd stayed quiet on the ride home, she kept blinking her eyelids and he'd halfway expected her to knock out on the short ride over. "I'm just gonna walk home." He told her as he pulled the keys out of the ignition and went to hand them to her. "I'll probably stop by tomorrow if you're going to be around."

She took the keys and let her eyes lock on his. "It's late and it's getting cold, why don't you just stay here?"

He slid his hand over the steering wheel and looked down. "That prolly ain't a good idea…"

She nodded. "Probably not, but I still want you too." She told him, softly.

He let his eyes slide back up and meet hers again. The soft, serious tone of her voice and the glassy look in her eyes let him know she wasn't just tired. She was upset about something and somehow him being there with her would help. He swallowed. "Okay, I'll stay."

()()()

The two of them tiptoed through the house, making sure not to wake her parents up. She flicked her light on and rummaged through her dresser until she pulled out something to sleep in. She stepped into the bathroom to change and emerged wearing his old T shirt and a pair of boy shorts. "Do you want those PJ's you wore last time?" She asked.

He nodded and swallowed hard again. She handed him the bottoms and he went in the bathroom to change. He chose to keep his shirt on this time. When he came out of the bathroom from changing he found her in her bed, staring up at the ceiling. She was playing music on her phone, and he could faintly hear Seether's song Hands Tied. He crawled in bed beside her and started gazing at the ceiling too. He didn't say a word until the song was over. "You gonna tell me what's on your mind?"

She pursed her lip and glanced over at him. He hadn't turned to look at her when he asked her that, instead his eyes were trained on the ceiling. She paused, trying to figure out what to say to him. "Ever since I found out how you felt, I've just been wondering….if you would have told me…if you hadn't of left that morning….do you think we would have done the long distance thing?

He didn't pause before he answered and he rolled over to face her. "I wouldn't have gone with Merle. Not if I knew how you felt."

She rolled herself over where they were now face to face. "We talked about you moving to Savannah with me before Merle got back and asked you to move up there with him. You know you couldn't have afforded a place down there by yourself and I had to live on campus my first year."

"I know that….I wouldn't have moved down there. I'd have stayed here and worked with Dale. I would have come to see you on the weekends or you could have come to see me."

"You would have just stayed here? With your dad?" She sounded horrified at the thought of that.

"Yeah….if it meant we would have been together."

She shook her head. "Your dad wasn't good to you…living with him wasn't good for you."

"I could have dealt with it one more year." He shrugged

"Going to Virginia was what was right for you….I couldn't have let you do that….I could have gone with you." She said, sadly. "I could have gone to college there."

"No you couldn't have. Out of state schools are twice as expensive. Armstrong was your dream school….I never would have asked you to give up that for me.."

"I guess we could have done the long distance thing. See each other once or twice a year." She let herself laugh at that thought of that actually working out.

He didn't laugh, instead he bit his lip hard and forced himself to admit that he would have been okay with that. That he actually would have wanted that. "We could have…I meant it when I said you're the only girl I ever wanted. It would have been hard, but I wouldn't have cheated on you or anything…hell I can hardly even look any other girl in the eyes."

She grew quiet. The mention of other girls had her mind going back to what Andrea said earlier. "How many people have you slept with besides me?" She blurted out without thinking.

His face crinkled. "What?" He was completely blindsided by her question and extremely uncomfortable.

"How many girls did you sleep with after me? She repeated, her voice growing stern and demanding.

"How many guys have you been with?" He bit back. "Besides the one you were engaged to?"

She grimaced. She regretted the words coming out of her mouth as soon as she heard them leave it. She knew that this conversation was going to lead to bad places for both of them. "Just him." She replied, barely above a whisper.

He shifted. Wishing he hadn't of even asked her even though she was hounding him. He really didn't wanna talk about this. He never planned on asking her that question, because thinking of her with another guy drove him crazy. In his head he had liked to pretend she'd never even slept with the one she was engaged to. "Can we just stop talking about this, please?" He begged.

"I just….I wanna know…."

"Why? Why would you even wanna think about that? I can't stand thinking about you and that asshole…" He snapped.

"Because...I wanna know if another girl meant something to you….if you hung around the next moring…"

"Carol…"

"I just…I need to know…"

He buried his head in his pillow. He should have just fucking gone home. He didn't know if it was better to tell the truth or to lie to her. He'd never looked her in the eye and told her an outright lie before. "I told you, you're the only girl I ever loved and the only one I ever wanted." He said, removing his head from its hiding place in the pillow so he could meet her eyes as they talked.

"So you slept with some random girl you barely knew?"

He looked away. He heard the hurt in her voice and it hurt him to know this conversation was hurting her. But a part of him didn't think it was fair either, she'd been with someone else. Of course, he knew his running away had caused all of it. "One time. Just one time. At a party Merle dragged me to two years ago. I didn't like her. I don't know why I did it…I wouldn't have gone after her…..people talked shit a lot because I was never with girls…I was drunk as hell and this girl just started kissing me…I didn't think I'd ever see you again...I felt like shit after it happened. Like I cheated on you or something…It didn't….it didn't feel right….it wasn't like it was with you…I threw up right after and I left….I didn't even take my shirt off…"

"You used a condom, right?" She interrupted.

"I wouldn't have touched the bitch without one.."

"You can stop talking now….I really don't need to hear anything else." She begged him, as she slid close to him and buried her head in his chest.

"I'm sorry…I wish you were the only person I'd been with…Hell, if I'm wishing for stuff I'm gonna wish that I was the only person you'd been with."

"I wish that too." She slid her hands under the back of his shirt and wrapped her arms around him tightly. "But you don't have to feel guilty for that. It sucks and it makes me sick to my stomach to think about it, but you didn't cheat on me. We hadn't seen each other in four years at that point...I know what you mean too, about it not feeling right….it not being the same….it never felt right with Ed."

"You ain't gotta say that to try and make me feel better and I told you I don't like talking about that fucker. I don't like thinking about you with him." He growled.

"I'm not just saying that. It's the truth…..I told you, I never stopped loving you either. Like I said, I just didn't think I'd ever see you again…..I didn't wanna be alone the rest of my life. All of my roommates had moved back home and I had just finished college and I was literally all alone when I met him. I had no one down there I was close too."

He sighed and wrapped both of his arms around her and pulled the rest of her body closer to him…."I'll give you all the money I have in my wallet if you please talk about something else. I believe you when you say that you didn't love him like you loved me…I just don't like talking about him….When I think about him, I wanna fucking kill him."

She nodded. He'd said that calm, almost too calm. There was a resoluteness in his voice that let her know if he ever ran into him by accident and he knew who he was she'd really have to stop him from doing just what he said he'd do. She started sliding her hands up and down his back and she felt him relax a little.


	31. Chapter 31

**(Here's the next one. Enjoy!)**

Carol wasn't sure when she'd finally fallen asleep, but it wasn't long after they'd finished talking about everything. She'd just laid there with him in silence, rubbing his back until she could hear his deep, rhythmic breathing that signaled he'd fallen asleep first. Without realizing it, she must have drifted off too, still contently wrapped in his arms. The next thing she knew she heard a few knocks on her door and her dad's voice raising her from her sleep.

"Wake up, it's 10 in the morning, you're going to sleep your day away." He announced, quickly opening her door without being invited in.

She groaned and removed the covers from her head. She was still groggy and was surprised she'd slept so late. She soon realized Daryl was still in bed with her, he'd been hidden under the covers with her, positioned on his side with his head resting against her shoulder. She looked up at her dad, who clearly hadn't missed the fact that Daryl was in bed with his daughter. She bit her lower lip and cursed herself internally. "I'll be up in a minute, dad."

Her dad stood in the doorway, starting at both of them. "Morning, Daryl." He said, gruffly.

He'd been fast asleep when he felt Carol nudge him. "Trying to sleep….you kept me up too late." He mumbled.

Her dad loudly cleared his throat.

He shot his head up, looked at Carol and then over to her dad. Even though he hadn't done anything and this had nothing on what her mom walked in on, he still felt awkward and extremely uncomfortable. Thank God he had kept his shirt on. "I uh…I just...um…good morning." He didn't know what to say to the man. He felt like he was in high school again.

She watched nervously, switching her gaze between her dad and back down to Daryl who looked like he'd rather be wrestling an alligator right about now. She was waiting for her dad to say something, he kept staring at both of them with a perplexed look on his face.

"You go for another one of those early morning runs?" He finally asked, a grin sweeping across his face.

Daryl let out some nervous laughter. "No sir…Carol needed a ride home after a few drinks. I got Merle to take me to give her a ride….I was gonna walk home after I dropped her and the car off…but it was getting late and cold….so…"

"So you brought my drunk daughter home and decided to stay the night with her?"

He looked over to Carol, hoping she'd say something to fix the situation. She just sat there with a hand over her mouth. He wasn't sure if she was trying to cover a laugh or if she was as uncomfortable as he was. "No…I…no…I mean, I stayed here…but I didn't… we didn't…"

Her dad started laughing and shook his head. "Thanks for bringing her home, Daryl. I'm actually sorry I never did this when you used to hide in her closet. If I would have known how fun it was I would have….It's a shame we're leaving next week and I won't get to do this more."

Her dad walked off and the two of them were left alone in her bedroom. He watched as she started laughing hysterically and fell back onto the bed.

"It ain't funny." He growled. "And you need to start locking your damn door.

()()()

The weekend ended okay. He'd called Herschel not long after he woke up at Carol's that Saturday morning and apologized for sleeping a little late, but that the truck was ready and he was welcome to come get it. It turned out Merle had already been to the shop and met him with it that morning. He'd gone to lunch with Carol and her parents and had spent Sunday hunting with Rick, who had found the story of Carol's dad walking in while they were asleep together just as hilarious as Carol did. It was Wednesday now, and Christmas was only two days away. He and Merle were going to eat at Carol's place Friday for Christmas and were going to go see their dad on Christmas Eve. They didn't go out of their way to see him and Daryl still harbored a lot of resentment and anger towards the man for the way he treated him, but he was the only family he had besides Merle. They both felt like they needed to at least stop by and see the asshole for Christmas. Then next Friday, they were going to have a New Year's/late friend's Christmas party at Maggie and Glenn's. They had drawn names and everyone had someone to by a present for. He'd drawn Andrea's name and thought about just giving her boxes of condoms with a note that said don't get knocked up by my brother. He'd told Carol about his idea and she laughed and said he should do it, but had to buy her a real gift too. He figured Andrea was easy enough to buy for. She was into guns so he just picked up some bullets for her. He would have been screwed if he got Lori. He was currently upstairs in his bedroom cleaning his gun when he got a text from Carol.

" _Are you home?"_

" _Yeah, what's up?_

" _Can I come over and work on my parents present? You know how much they like to just open doors and I don't want them to see it until it's done."_

" _Sure."_

 _()()()_

It wasn't long after he had let her know it was okay for her to come over before she was knocking on his door. He'd let her in and they'd gone up to his room.

"What'd you get them?" He asked her curiously, looking at the big bag she had in her hands.

She sat the bag down on the bed and pulled out an empty photo album then she emptied the bag onto the bed and piles of old photos crashed out onto the sheets. "Well, they're getting back on the road Saturday. They don't have a lot of room in the RV, so I wanted to get them something that wouldn't take up much space. I'm putting together a photo album for them. A lot of these have been in their storage bin and haven't been touched in years."

He picked up an old picture of her as a baby with both of her parents. "You had a big ass head." He laughed.

She punched him in the shoulder. "You're an asshole."

He started helping her sort through the pictures. A lot were of her when she was little. Some of her parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, then there were some of their gang.

"Holy shit." Daryl laughed. "I remember when we took this." It was a picture of him, Rick and her from a photo booth inside the mall. It was one of those wanted pictures and he and Rick were doing their best to look like bad asses and Carol was in between them flashing her biggest smile.

She leaned over his shoulder and looked at the picture. "We had to be in fifth grade or so there."

"We were. You're mom let us go with you clothes shopping and she actually let us walk around by ourselves for the first time. We spent like 20 bucks of your clothes money at the arcade."

She laughed. "Yeah, and you and Rick bought all of those candy cigarettes from the candy store and his dad found him trying to light one and grounded him for a week."

He picked up another one. It was Carol, Michonne, Andrea, Maggie and Lori standing around her pool in swimsuits. "Is this from the pool party you had where Shane broke your diving board?"

She took the picture from him and glanced at it closely. "No, that happened in high school. This was in middle school. Eight grade I think…..God, look at Andrea's boobs. They were like three times the size of mine. I was flat chested until halfway through ninth grade."

"Nah, you had a little bit back then."

She cocked her eyebrows. "You were paying that much attention?"

He blushed a little bit and shrugged then picked up another photo. "Senior Prom….I still don't know how you talked me into that shit." He mumbled.

She looked down and grinned. It was a picture of Rick and Lori, Maggie and Glenn, Michonne and T-Dog, Andea and Shane and her and Daryl. "Look how handsome you were all dressed up and with your hair cut so neat.

"I looked stupid."

"No you didn't…you looked nice and I liked it….and you know you had fun that night."

"You know you had more fun junior year when I talked you into skipping prom and we snuck into that Rehab concert at O'Malley's."

"That was a lot of fun…but prom was too. Shane spiked the punch and the assistant principal get drunk."

"Took the dumbass like two hours to figure out what was going on."

She shook her head and looked back down at the picture. "I wish I had one of just us."

"We took some, remember?"

"I know….I had one….but I was really mad at you and I may have burnt your face out of it…"

He hung his head down and got up and went to the top drawer of his dresser. He pulled out an old shoebox. He sat back down on the bed, opened it and pulled out a picture of the just the two of them taken right before prom. They were standing in front of the river. He was in front of her and she was behind him, hear head resting on his back and her arms wrapped around him. Both of them were smiling. "You want this one?" He asked, handing it to her.

"You kept this after all these years?" Her voice cracked a little as she spoke.

He nodded. "I got more in there from prom and other stuff too."

She reached over and grabbed the box from him and started rifling through it. She found a picture of them from third grade. It was one of them with some type of poster board that had something to do with reptiles. They were standing and holding it up together. Daryl was scowling and Carol was smiling. "I don't think you said an entire word during this entire presentation. I had to talk the whole time."

"I know…why do you think I finally decided to be friends with you?" He joked.

"Hmm." She filed through the box and found more pictures. One of them sledding down the bank in her front yard when it snowed a little one year. One of the two of them in his first car. One of them at their high school graduation. One of them jumping out of the window at the powerhouse holding hands. One of the time they'd gone to the beach with Rick and Lori and it had been his fist time at the beach ever. They were standing on the pier side by side. She was looking out at the ocean and he was fishing. She couldn't help but smile as they looked through all of these old photos. So many good memories of growing up flooded her mind. She reached the end of the pile and froze when she the last few pictures. "Where'd you get these?"

She was looking him in the eyes when she asked and hers bore a mixture of confusion and shock. He had forgotten that he stuck those in there. He ran a hand through his hair. "Rick gave em to me." He mumbled

"When?" She asked, as she looked down at the pictures again. The one on top was one of her, Lori and Rick at her college graduation.

"Not long after they were taken I guess…he mailed em to me."

"But….why…"

"Because I asked him too…." He hesitantly confessed.

Complete confusion washed over her. "How'd you even know I was graduating?"

He shrugged. He knew he was going sound creepy as hell and he was almost embarrassed to admit it. "Whenever I came home and ran into Rick I'd always ask about you….he called me when he got the invitation about your graduation….He told me to come….I thought about it….I just didn't wanna ruin your day if you saw me and didn't want me there….I told him to send me some pictures."

She couldn't believe he'd asked Rick to send him pictures of her graduation. She didn't even know he'd ever asked Rick about her or her life. She fumbled through the other two pictures again. One of her walking across the stage and getting her diploma and one of her with her parents. "I can't believe you did that."

"Look, I know it's weird…I just…I wanted to know you were okay….that your life was okay." Before he could finish the sentence he felt her lips connect with his. She kept the pace soft and slow, and he matched it. Not wanting to rush it and very unsure of where it was going.

She felt his hands go up to her side and she deepened the kiss and started falling back onto the bed, pulling him along with her until he was on top of her. Things became heated and she felt him slowly slide a hand under her shirt. He began to trail kisses down her neck and he moved a hand to the edge of her shirt. She felt him tug at the bottom of it. She broke the kiss momentarily. Where's Merle?" She panted. She didn't want them to get interrupted again.

"At Andrea's. He's not coming home tonight." He growled, locking his lips on hers again and reaching down to pull her shirt off. Once he had it off he started making his way down her neck then her chest and finding his way back up. He paused briefly "You sure you wanna do this?" Searching her eyes for the slightest sign of hesitation.

She nodded and pulled his shirt off. "I want you." She replied and kissed him passionately.


	32. Chapter 32

**(Yay! I'm glad you guys liked that chapter. Here's the next one. Enjoy and please read and review.)**

She was laying with her head on his chest, tracing circles over his toned abdomen. He had an arm around her, as he gently ran his fingertips up and down her arm. She couldn't see his face from this angle, but she knew he was smiling. She knew it because she was too. It had been six long years since she'd been with him like that, but it was just as good as she remembered, no scratch that, this time it was even better. The anticipation that had been leading up to this moment the last several weeks, the fact that she knew he loved her, the fact that this was a conscious, alcohol free decision they both made that she knew neither of them would regret in the morning had made this even more amazing than she imagined it would be. She felt so relaxed, so happy and she didn't want to move. She felt like she could stay like that forever, safely pressed against his bare body as she listened to the rhythmic sounds of his heartbeat, which only five minutes ago had been thumping so hard it sounded like it would bust right out of his chest. This time was vastly different from their first time, which had been cautious, careful, slow. This time it was passionate, fiercely driven by desire and longing. She'd wanted him for so long now, but she was glad they had been forced by circumstances to wait, because tonight she was ready. Before she hadn't been. Physically, yes, but emotionally, no.

"It's a damn good thing I bought that box of condoms I was gonna give Andrea for Christmas." He laughed, breaking the comfortable silence that was being held between them.

She looked up at him and smiled. She placed a gentle kiss on his lips and propped herself up so she could meet his eyes. "Yeah, it is…I think we should just keep the rest of those."

He cocked his head and smiled. "Does this mean we get to do that again?" He asked, huskily.

She nodded. "Whenever you want."

He rolled over on top of her and started kissing her neck, tracing his way up to her mouth. He ran his hands down her body and he felt her let out a whimper. A smile spread across his lips, but a thought crossed his mind that had him freezing in place. He forced himself to pull his mouth away from hers and let their eyes meet. "I don't want this to change things between us." He told her, softly.

She saw the mix of emotion in his eyes as he spoke. The fear that this was going to screw things up, the want he had for her that had made it nearly impossible for him to stop what they were doing and say that. She realized that she hadn't clarified what she wanted. That she told him she wanted him as she snatched his shirt off, but she never told him that she wanted them. For all he knew, she still wasn't ready emotionally to be with him. "Well, I kind of hope it does."

He looked at her curiously, worry and hope mixed on his face. He hovered over her in silence, almost as if he was scared to ask what she meant.

She smiled up at him and kissed him again, gently tugging at his bottom lip before letting go. "I want you…I want us."

"You serious?" He asked, his eyes lit up and he was unable to hide the huge grin etched across his face. He felt his heart start pounding again and his stomach fluttered.

"I've never been more serious about anything." She wrapped her arms around his neck and looked him in his beautiful, blue eyes. "I love you."

He pressed his forehead against hers. "I love you too." He felt like a little kid who'd just woken up and gotten everything he wanted for Christmas.

()()()

They'd been together a second time that night, it was slower and sweeter than it had been earlier. He'd always heard people say that sex, fucking and making love were three different things. He knew fucking was different than sex. He'd fucked the bitch at that party he was at with Merle. It was emotionless and fast and awkward and he regretted it like hell. What he'd done with Carol before, he'd just always thought of as sex. He'd never liked the term making love. It sounded cheesy and weird. But that was the only word he could use to describe what went on their second time that night. He was pretty sure he'd kissed every single inch of her the second time around. Every single freckle, every single scar. He wanted her to know how much he loved her, how happy he was that she was finally his after all this time. At the moment, he had his chin dug into her shoulder and he was holding her from behind. Everything about tonight was still so surreal and every second he felt scared that he was going to wake up from some dream. But it was well past two in the morning now and he was starting to realize that it really wasn't a dream. She was still here and she was his girlfriend. She was his fucking girlfriend. That was a strange concept to him. He'd never had one before and he was 24 years old. He shifted around a little bit and tightened his grip on her.

"Does this mean I have to buy you a Christmas present now too?" She joked. "Because, I'm not sure I'll be able to find anything you like with this short of notice."

"Nah, I already got what I want." He mumbled.

"Aren't you sweet?" She smirked.

He scoffed "Pfft. No."

"Keep telling yourself that."

"I ain't sweet dammnit."

"Okay, pookie."

"What the fuck did you just call me?" He laughed.

"Pookie. It's a pet name. Couples do stuff like that…. I like it."

"Hell no." He shook his head. "If Merle ever heard you call me that he'd make me a fucking name tag with it on there and force me to wear it around the shop."

She laughed too. "Don't make me mad or I'll make sure it happens….hey what do you think Merle is gonna say when he finds out about us?" She wondered aloud.

He shrugged. "He'll be happy…. Stupid son of a bitch loves you. He threatened to kick my teeth in if I screwed things up."

"Really?" She asked surprised. She knew how close the brothers were and didn't think Merle would have ever been on her side over his.

"Yeah….and I'm pretty sure Maggie's got something worse planned if I do." He muttered.

"What?"

He shook his head. "Nothing…..She just had a long talk with me in the hospital that day I had to get my arm checked out and get a tetanus shot."

"Guess you better be on your best behavior then." She teased.

"I ain't doing anything to mess this up…you and me. This is it. Always has been." He placed a kiss on the side of her cheek.

"Always." She agreed, and squeezed his hands.

"Who do you wanna tell first?" He asked

She pondered it for a minute. "We could not tell anyone and have some fun."

"What do you mean?"

"Next Friday at the New Year's Eve party you could just kiss me in front of everyone at midnight. It'd be fun to see their reactions."

"I can tell you their reactions….Glenn would stand there with his mouth wide open, Maggie would eye us carefully, but smile, Lori would come try and pull us apart and lecture us, Merle would kick my damn teeth in for trying something without knowing we are together, Michonne would smirk and shake her head, Andrea would whistle and make some lewd comment, Shane would sit and sulk knowing he wasn't getting laid from anyone in the room tonight, and Rick would slap me on the shoulder and say it's about time. But only after everyone else wasn't looking."

"That sounds about right….so does that mean you don't wanna wait to tell them."

"I'm good with telling them whenever you're ready, but if we see them before and we're together I don't wanna have to hide that…..been hiding shit too damn long."

"You're right, I don't wanna have to hide it either if we see anyone before then….We can tell my parents tomorrow, together."

He nodded. "Sounds good to me….I think you're dads gonna be okay with it." He said, thinking back to their conversation in the hospital."

"Me too….Do you want me to go with you to your dad's for lunch?"

He grimaced. His dad was peculiar as hell. He wasn't even sure he really wanted him and Merle over, let alone for him to bring someone else. Plus, he knew Carol didn't like him at all. Not after all he'd done. "You don't gotta…" He didn't wanna tell her she couldn't go, but he would be lying if he said that he thought it was a good idea if she went.

"I know….but I will if you want me there."

He nodded. "You know how he is…"

"I know….that's why I wanna go."

"Alright. If you wanna be there, you can come….we should probably get some sleep though. It's already three."

"I didn't realize it was so late….I should get dressed and go home. I didn't tell my parents that I wouldn't be back home and if they wake up and my car is still gone they'll worry. " She went to sit up, but she felt him pull her back into him.

"Don't go….not tonight." He begged.


	33. Chapter 33

Merle made his way home a little after 6:00 a.m. the morning of Christmas Eve. The law firm that Andrea worked at would be open until 2:00 p.m. today, so he skipped out as soon as she started getting ready for work. Even though it was still dark outside, he hadn't missed the presence of Carol's car in their driveway. He highly doubted that she had just gotten there, he found it far more likely she'd spent the night. Especially since his brother had just had a sleep over at her place a few days ago. He was hoping that the she'd wake up before Daryl, because he wanted to have a talk with her. He liked giving his brother hell, but deep down he knew that the way their relationship currently stood was killing him. Sharing a bed, cuddling up, being so damn close to everything you wanted, but knowing you couldn't really have it. He was planning on telling her she needed to cut all that shit out until she figured out what she wanted. They could still be friends and hang out, but she needed to set boundaries and not do anything with him she wouldn't do with Glenn or Rick. It wasn't fair to either of them.

As he made his way inside the house and up the stairs he paused in front of his little brother's bedroom door. It was shut, which wasn't unusual. He liked his privacy. He pressed his ear to the door and didn't hear any noise coming from the room, not even a television seemed to be on. He carefully slid the door back, figuring he might wake Carol up and try and talk to her now if his younger brother was fast asleep. As soon as the door was open he didn't know what the fuck to think. The two of them were curled up together in bed, tightly wound up in the covers. There were pictures scattered across the floor, a photo album, a shoe box, jeans, boxers, shirts. "What the fuck?" Merle mumbled to himself. He glanced around the room again, this time noticing an opened box of condoms on the dresser. "You little bastard." He growled as he darted towards the bed. He snatched the comforter back, only to reveal exactly what he thought he'd find, the two of them tangled up together butt ass naked.

She felt the sudden jolt of the comforter being snatched off of them and was startled awake. "Oh my God!" She screamed and moved to cover herself the best she could. She was mortified to see Merle standing over them, looking mad as hell.

Daryl heard her scream and bolted upright. He looked over at her and noticed the comforter was no longer on either of them and that she was trying her hardest to cover up her body with her only her hands. He looked up and saw Merle glaring at them and holding the comforter and he wanted to lunge right out of bed and punch him square in the jaw. But he was naked and she was naked and he didn't want his brother seeing any more of her than he already had. "What the fuck is your problem?" He barked, as he slid her closer to him and placed a pillow over the front of her body. "And give me my fucking blanket back, now!"

"My problem? My problem? What the fuck is your problem? I told you not to do this shit…I told you not to sleep with her again until you two were a thing…"

"If you don't give me my fucking blanket back I'm gonna grab my crossbow and shoot you right between your fucking eyes… ain't none of your damn business what we did…..ain't your damn place to fucking bust up in my room like that, and it sure as hell ain't your place to snatch my covers off of us and to look at my girlfriend's tits."

"Girlfriend? Since when is she your damn girlfriend?" He replied, stunned.

"Maybe if you asked questions before assuming shit you'd know. Carol snapped, picking up the closest thing next to her and throwing it at him. "Out, now!"

He saw it coming and ducked as the box of condoms she'd thrown missed him and spilled out into the floor after hitting the wall. He tossed the comforter back towards them. "I ain't done talking about this..…I wanna know what happened." He yelled, as he bent down to pick up as many of the condoms that spilled out as he could and stuffed them in his pockets.

"Get the fuck out." Daryl demanded. He picked up the alarm clock that was resting on his nightstand and chunked it towards his older brother.

Merle slipped out before it could hit him and it made a loud thud as it connected with the door. Daryl wished it would have hit the stupid fucker in the head. He'd been dead asleep when he walked in and pulled that shit and he didn't appreciate it one bit. It was one thing for people to ask them questions or lecture them on their past, but what Merle did crossed a line. A big one. "You alright?" He asked her, softly.

"Oh, I'm fine…..but your brother's not going to be….I'm going to kill him." She hissed.

"Not if I kill him first." He mumbled. He climbed out of bed and slid his boxers on in case Merle tried to come in again. He picked up his shirt and tossed it to her. "Here, put this on….I don't want him looking at you if he comes back in here."

The shirt was inside out and she quickly turned it back where it would be facing the correct way. She threw it over her head and looked up at him, smirking. "Are you jealous your brother saw me naked?"

"No…I ain't jealous." He scoffed. "Just pissed because he woke me up and he didn't have no business coming in here like that….that's not how I wanted to wake up."

"Waking up to Merle standing over me naked wasn't exactly how I pictured waking up either." She laughed. "Our families have some serious privacy issues."

He let out a small laugh and grew quiet. They had both been sitting up in the bed at this point, but he leaned over and pulled them both back into a laying position. He didn't bother to straighten his comforter out and make it neat, but he did pull the mess of covers over them. "Let's go back to sleep and wake up the right way in a few hours."

"And what's the right way?" She asked curiously, arching her brows at him. If he wanted sex again he might be shit out of luck judging from the handful of condoms Merle snatched up. She didn't know if any were left.

"Like we should have back then…with me holding you like this." He told her as he linked his arm around her waist. His voice very quiet and low.

()()()

They'd woken up a few hours later when Merle had knocked on his door. He didn't barge in this time, instead he talked through the other side of the door and told Daryl he needed to get ready to go to their dad's house. The two reluctantly got out of bed. She cleaned the mess of photos up from his floor that had been kicked off of his bed during last night's activities. He was going to get a shower and get dressed and she was going to go home and so the same. The plan was for him to pick her up in two hours. He'd kissed her goodbye several times and told her he loved her and then made his way into the shower. She walked downstairs and was headed to her car when she ran into Merle. She scowled at him and went to walk out of the house without a word, but he called out to her.

"Look, I'm sorry I saw your boobs…if it makes you feel better about it, I thought they were nice." He flashed a devilish smile and continued talking. "I mean, I usually like bigger ones, but they were cute. Really perky."

She continued to glare at him. He wasn't making this any better. "Are you serious right now?"

"Relax…I don't mean nothing by it…I wouldn't ever look at you like that….you're like a sister to me….not a real one, but a step-sister. Not one you grew up with where she's practically blood though. One where your dad just married her mom…..you'd sneak a peek at her now and then, maybe think about fucking her, but you wouldn't do it, because it'd still be wrong."

"I'm going to stab you in your sleep." She told him calmly, and flashed a smile at him. "If your brother doesn't kill you first….what the hell is wrong with you?" Her tone became higher and angrier the more she spoke.

"Don't be getting mad at me….I was looking out for you….I been looking out for you…..I've been telling him nothing could happen between you two until you were together. I didn't want him to fuck shit up and you to get hurt again."

She softened a bit, thinking back to the way Daryl told her Merle had threatened him over her. "Just don't ever do that again." She warned. "And knock before you come in next time."

"Yes ma'am." He smirked…."So, if I would have got home a little earlier would I have walked in on some good stuff?"

She laughed and flipped him off. "Give me those condoms you took too." She demanded. "I know for a fact Andrea is on the pill and you don't need them."

"How do you know I'm only sleeping with Andrea?" He countered.

She paused and her face fell a little for her friend. She still wouldn't admit it to anyone, but Carol knew Andrea liked him and it would upset her if he was with someone else. "Are you?"

He shook his head. "Not that it's your damn business, but no…"

"You saw my boobs." She reminded him. "I'm allowed to get in your business after that shit you pulled upstairs…. Don't hurt her, Merle….you're both hard headed and stubborn and you don't wanna admit it, but there's something there. You wouldn't be staying the night there if there wasn't."

He nodded back at her, but didn't say anything. He was quiet for a moment, then took a deep breath and locked eyes with her. "I know my little brother hurt you a lot a long time ago, and I know he was wrong….but he ain't ever gonna hurt you again and I'd be the first to fuck him up if I thought he was going to…Now...I'm not doubting your feelings for him…I'm happy for you two. I really am. I'm just saying this because he's my brother and the little fucker loves you more than he loves himself. It'd kill him to lose you again. Don't you hurt him either, darling."

"I love him too, Merle…more than you know. I'd never do anything to hurt him. He's my best friend, my first love...I can't lose him again either." She locked her blue eyes on his when she spoke. She wanted him to know how serious she was about his little brother. She was in this 100%. This was it as far as she was concerned.


	34. Chapter 34

**(Within the next few chapters I have to make a decision if I am going to take this story on a particular arc or not, but I'm not sure people would like it. I have so many ideas for chapters for this particular arc and I think I could do a lot with it, but that wouldn't do me any good if people stopped reading because of it….It's going to be a hard decision…Anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing. Enjoy!)**

Daryl made his way into the living room and looked over to where Merle was sprawled out of the couch. He was drinking a beer and watching re-runs of South Park laughing to himself. He looked over at his brother and scowled deeply. He was still mad as hell about him barging into his room this morning and making a scene.

Merle could feel his brother's eyes on him and glanced over in his direction. "Come on, you're not still mad are you?"

"The fuck do you think?" He spat. "I can't believe you did that shit."

"I didn't know you was together, dammit. I thought you just fucked her."

"You coulda fucking asked before pulling some shit like that…that was weird as fuck."

"Grow up. Mama used to bathe us together when was kids...ain't like I never seen your pecker before."

"I didn't want you looking at my girlfriend, asshole."

"You like that word don't you?" Merle smirked. "You keep calling her that instead of calling her by her name.

"That's what she is now...and apparently it's important that you know that so you don't bust up in the room and try and stop us the next time I wanna get laid." He grumbled.

"I was just looking out for you and you know it." He said sternly. "It's all good now. You're together and I'm happy for you. Fuck her all you want." He said, as he pulled a handful on condoms out of his pocket and threw them at his brother. "Guess you might need these back."

Daryl caught as many as he could and slammed them in his pockets. He picked up the rest that fell on the floor and placed them on the coffee table.

"So, how'd it happen?" Merle wondered aloud.

He shrugged "I don't know….We were looking at old pictures and talking and she ended up kissing me after she found out I got Rick to send me some from her college graduation."

"Was it good?" Merle asked wiggling his eyebrows.

"Man, screw you. I don't go asking you all this shit." Daryl said, turning red and flipping him of.

"Yeah, but I tell you anyway…and you should thank me…you probably wouldn't have had a clue what to do if I hadn't.

Daryl rolled his eyes. He wasn't talking about this with him. "Come on. We need to run grab some pizza or something to take over to the old man's house. You know he ain't gone have shit to eat. Then I gotta go pick Carol up."

"You invited her with us? Why the hell would you do that? I barely wanna go see the bastard, and he made me."

"She wanted to come…I can't tell her no…I couldn't before she was sleeping with me…how the hell do you expect me to now?"

Merle shook his head. He stood up to follow his brother out the door and he noticed marks on his neck and collar bone. "Is that a fucking bite mark?" He snickered, as he looked at the teeth imprints on his collar bone.

He cautiously placed a hand over the spot Merle was looking at. His face flushed and he felt his ears burn. "Shut up." He mumbled as he headed out the door.

"Guess it was pretty damn good then….You make me proud." He beamed, slapping him on the back.

()()()

He'd gone to her house to pick her up, but he opted to stay in the truck and wait on her rather than go inside. Since Merle pointed out the bite mark on his neck he didn't want her parents to notice it before they had a chance to talk to them tomorrow about them being together. Her dad seemed to have respect for him now and like him, he didn't want to do anything to screw that up. She'd climbed in the truck with the three of them. Daryl was driving, because Merle had been drinking this morning. She scooted close beside him and placed a chaste kiss on his lips.

"I love you." She whispered.

"You spent all damn night with him." Merle said rolling his eyes. "I might be happy for you, but all this gooey shit is gonna make me sick if I have to hear it all the time."

Part of Daryl felt uncomfortable displaying affection in front of Merle. He knew he was going to catch hell for it, but he was fucking happy and he decided he didn't really care. He didn't give a shit what Merle or anyone else had to say about it. He finally had what he wanted after all this time and he wasn't going to brush her off or ignore something she said just because someone else was there. "Love you too." He replied, and kissed her back.

()()()

As they pulled into the driveway of Daryl and Merle's childhood home she noticed that it was one of the few places that hadn't changed in the last six years. The small white house still looked exactly the same. The paint was still chipping off the sides of the house, the shingles were worn and fading, the front porch was still cluttered and his mom's old car was still parked in the same spot on the side of the house. She doubted it had been moved since she passed away. The place seemed frozen in time.

She remembered coming over here when they were younger. Most of the time when she came over his dad would be gone. Either out in his garden, hunting in the woods, fucking some bitch or off drunk somewhere. He usually only came back to the house to sleep. She'd been around him before, but he'd never said much. She could only re-call one time he'd actually been a somewhat normal dad. It was fourth of July one year and he'd made homemade fireworks. Daryl had been excited and asked if he could have some friends over. He'd agreed, which was also unusual, because Carol and Rick were the only people that were usually ever allowed to come over. Carol was always allowed over more than Rick, and she had no clue why. Anyway, his dad had actually shot off all the fireworks for them and he'd been home the whole night. He wasn't drunk and she'd even seen him laugh for the first time ever. He had some crawdads in a trap that he pulled from the creek near their house. Michonne had taken one out and held it to her face and it ended up pinching onto her lip. His dad laughed at that and it honestly scared the shit out of her.

He was a quiet person, extremely quiet. Whenever he did talk it usually came out in grunts and mumbles. He wasn't overly tall, probably around 5'10 like Daryl and Merle, but he was intimidating as hell. It was just the look he carried. Like he was angry at the world. To be honest, Merle looked and sounded a lot like him. Daryl looked more like their mom, at least in the pictures she'd seen of her he did.

She could tell by the look on Daryl's face when he put the truck in park that coming here today was hard on him. He was tense and he had his jaw set. She looked over at Merle, who also had dis-heartening look on his face. She wondered why they even wanted to come if it upset them this bad to be here. She reached over and grabbed Daryl's hand in hers. "You alright?" She asked, softly.

"Mhm." He replied as he opened the door to climb out of the truck. He locked his fingers with hers and told Merle to grab the pizzas. He found himself somewhat glad she was here. Although, he wondered what his dad was going to say about it and if he'd care enough to ask questions.

They knocked loudly on the door a few times before the man appeared. When he opened the door, he was almost the same as she remembered him. A few more wrinkles around the eyes, but pretty much the same. Cold blue eyes, broad shoulders, muscular arms, short brown hair, same angry scowl. She was taken back to the last time she stood at this door and he came to it when she was looking for Daryl the morning he left.

"Merry Christmas, pops." Merle said, as he held out the pizzas.

The eldest Dixon looked questioningly at his two boys and then to Carol. His eyes shot down to where Carol and Daryl were holding hands in front of him. "

"Come on in." He mumbled. "Didn't know you were brining company."

They slowly made their way into the house, which also hadn't changed on the inside either. The same hideous 70's style carpet was on the floor, the same sunken in plaid couch. Old photo's lined the wall. One of Daryl, Merle and both of their parents. It was one that had been on that wall forever and she knew was taken a few months before she died unexpectedly. His mom and dad were standing side by side. His mom had a huge smile on her face. Daryl was in front of her and he was smiling too. His Dad was even grinning slightly and Merle was standing in front of him wearing a toothless grin and sporting a bowl cut. It painted the picture of a happy, normal family. She knew that wasn't exactly the truth in the picture, but things had been a little better back then. At least for the boys.

"How you been." Daryl asked his dad quietly. The brothers hadn't seen him since the month before they came home for good. They hadn't come to see him and he hadn't been to see them, despite knowing they had bought the shop. He didn't really care all that much how he'd been, but this awkward silence was killing him.

"Good…killed a big as buck a few weeks ago." He pointed up on the wall where the head was mounted.

Daryl nodded as he looked up at all the stuffed game that lined the shelves below the ceiling. He'd forgotten about the bobcat up there. He'd shot the thing himself when he was 12 and it was chasing him in the woods.

His dad eyed Carol and Daryl again, who were still holding hands. "Are you two together?" He asked, motioning between them.

She didn't answer, instead she looked up to meet Daryl's gaze. Wondering what he wanted to tell him, if anything. She certainly didn't think he was worthy enough to know anything about either sons' lives.

"Yeah." He muttered.

His dad nodded.

"You should see the bite mark she left on his neck." Merle laughed.

"At least now I know you ain't queer." His dad mumbled. "I don't know why she's with your dumbass though. Not after you left her without saying a word all those years ago. She came looking for you the next morning. Looked like she was bout to cry….you damn sure don't deserve it….and we both know you're gonna fuck up again."

Daryl bit his bottom lip and started shaking his leg.

"So, have you two managed to fuck Dale's shop up yet?" He said, condescendingly.

"We're doing just fine." Merle interrupted. "Daryl's a hell of a mechanic and I can paint a car better than anybody in this town….we ain't fucking shit up."

She looked up at Daryl and noticed the way he was looking down. He wouldn't take that tone from anybody else. He wouldn't hesitate to get in someone's face for talking shit, but he couldn't stand up to his dad. Even though he was a grown ass man who could probably beat his ass now, he looked down like a little kid. His dad always gave him a hard time. Called him a fuck up because of his grades, constantly told him he couldn't do anything right, told him he'd end up just like his damn mama, on top of beating the hell out of him on occasion. He wasn't great to Merle either, and she knew he'd put hands on him before too, but he was a little better to him. He just seemed to like him more.

"You two don't know shit about running a business...watch what I say…few months from now it's gonna crash and burn."

She had to bite her tongue, because she wanted to cuss this asshole out so bad. Maybe she shouldn't have come with him.

"Yeah….whatever." Merle mumbled and shoveled a slice of pizza in his mouth.

"It's amazing to me the two of you even have a business and neither of you fuck ups are in jail or on drugs….you got me to thank for that…I was hard on you growing up, but I had to be…it made you who you are."

She'd had enough at this point. She'd heard him tell stories of his dad being like that, but she'd never seen it firsthand. He used to not dare speak like that in front of company, but she guessed living all by himself for so long and not having anyone to treat shitty had him not caring who saw how he acted today. He just needed to down someone else to make himself feel better. She knew one thing, they were grown men and they shouldn't sit here and take this from him. He should be proud of them, not making them feel like shit. "They're not on drugs or in jail in spite of you." She snapped. "They'd have every reason to be, but they aren't. They're hard working and smart. You should be proud of them….I'm proud of them….both of them. Best thing they ever did was get the hell away from you and I don't even know why they wanted to come here today and see you…I wouldn't if you were my dad…. I love your son and he's turned out to be an amazing man….I have no idea how he came from a sorry ass piece of shit like you."

"What the hell did you just say little girl?" The older man growled, getting in her face.

Daryl shot up out of his seat and got nose to nose with his dad. "Back up…or I'm gonna do something I wanted to do for a long time now." He said low, his voice filled with rage.

Merle stepped in between the two. "Come on little brother….time to go." He said, pulling Daryl by the arm. The three of them slowly made their way out of the house.

"Merry Christmas, you fucking asshole." Daryl yelled on the way out as he kicked the door shut.


	35. Chapter 35

The three of them had left Daryl and Merle's dad's house and Merle had insisted on being dropped off at the bar. Carol couldn't help but notice the sad, blank stare in his eyes and the monotonous tone in his voice. He'd stared out the window the entire ride, not bothering to look over at her or Daryl. She was worried about him, she'd never heard him be so quiet before. She had decided to text Andrea and see if she'd ride to the bar and check on him in a bit. She told her about lunch with their dad and how horrible it had ended up. Andrea had promised to go check on him as soon as she got off work.

Daryl hadn't seemed much better than Merle. He'd been just as silent, although that wasn't as unusual for him. However, his hand was gripped so tightly around the steering wheel that his knuckles were turning white and he hadn't let his eyes move from the road. She felt terribly guilty for going off on their dad. Maybe she shouldn't have and maybe it over stepped some boundaries, but she couldn't help it. Hearing him talk like that about them had made her blood boiling. She couldn't just sit there and listen to it anymore. When he tried to take credit for how well they turned out that was her breaking point because that was the biggest fucking joke ever. He'd done a number on both of them, just in completely different ways. But in the end, she knew he was still their dad, the only parent that they had left. She was worried they were upset with her about it and she felt like she ruined their Christmas Eve.

She moved closer to Daryl in the truck after he dropped Merle off. She was about to ask him if he was okay when she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. It was a text from Jacquie.

" _I need you to come in for a little while. Jan got sick at work and we need someone to cover her shift. We're really short-handed and I know you said you weren't doing Christmas with your family until tomorrow."_

She looked up at Daryl before responding. She knew he was upset. Merle was at the bar. She didn't want to leave him alone. _"Is there anyone else who can come in? I'm with Daryl right now and he's dealing with some family stuff."_

" _Sorry sweetie, everyone else I texted was in the middle of a family thing or out of town. I hate to ask, but I really need your help."_

She let out a sad sighed. " _Give me twenty minutes. I've got to get home and change into my scrubs."_

" _Thanks, you're the best."_

He glanced down when he heard her sigh and saw her typing away at her phone. "Everything okay?" He asked, quietly.

"Jacquie said one of the girls at work got sick and she needs me to come in and cover for her….I told her I was with you and asked if there was anyone else that could come in….she said there isn't."

He nodded, sweeping his gaze back up on the road. "I'll take you home to get changed." He replied, solemnly.

She kept her eyes trained on him. He looked so sad, so defeated. The thought of leaving him right now was making her feel sick. "Are you okay? I don't wanna leave you alone. If you need me to stay with you, I'll text her back and tell her that I can't come."

"You ain't been working there that long…..you better just go on since they asked you….I'll be fine." He said, gruffly.

"Daryl.."

"I'll be fine…I'm just gonna go home and go out in the woods for a while…If I don't see nothing there I'll go get a jump start on stuff at the shop for next week. Ain't no big deal."

He was being short with her and there was a harshness to his voice as he spoke. She felt like he was upset with her about what happened back at his dad's. "Are you mad at me for what I said?" She asked, carefully.

He looked down at her and shook his head. He was mad, but he wasn't mad at her. He realized the way his voice must sound to her and how agitated he must seem. He didn't mean for any of that to be directed at her, but everything that happened had him in a mood. "Ain't mad at you." He told her, softly. "Everything you said was the truth….asshole needed to hear it."

"Do you think Merle is? Is that why he wanted to go to the bar?"

He shook his head. "Merle's been drinking since before we left the house. Don't got nothing to do with what you said…..He knows it's the damn truth too."

She nodded and linked her arms around his and rested her head on his shoulder. "I love you and I'm here for you if you wanna talk about it."

He nodded. "I know you are….you always have been…I love you too."

()()()

She'd just gotten off work and was more than ready to get home. She'd been worried about Daryl ever since she had to leave earlier. She hated that he had spent the afternoon alone and all she wanted to do was get home and put her phone on charge so she could call him. She was worried about Merle too. She really hoped Andrea had gone and checked on him. When she made her way over the top of the hill on her way back home she saw a man walking. She quickly realized it was Daryl. She pulled up beside him and stopped the car. "You okay?" She asked, not hiding the concern on her face.

He met her eyes then looked back down at the ground and shook his head. "Can I stay with you?"

"Get in." She told him, and nodded towards the passenger side door. "My phone died at work. Did you try to call?"

"Yeah…..I figured. It kept going to voicemail….Knew you would be getting off soon and I was just gonna wait for you on the porch….didn't wanna drive the bike and wake your folks up."

"Did Merle ever come home?"

He shook his head again. "Haven't heard nothing from him since dropping him off….he prolly met some girl and went home with her." He shrugged. "Kinda how he deals with shit. You know?"

Carol grimaced. That would have been horrible if he had been chatting up some other girl and Andrea walked in the bar to find him.

()()()

The two of them made their way inside and headed back to her room. All the lights were off and her parents had long since been asleep. The smell of baked ham and pecan pies lingered in the kitchen from what her mother had been preparing earlier. Once they reached her room she shut her door and quickly pulled her scrubs off. She threw on some night clothes and looked at Daryl who'd been sitting on the bed watching her. He was nervously chewing his thumb. "Do you want pajama's or do you wanna sleep in your boxers?" She asked.

"Don't matter." He mumbled and pulled his shirt off. He looked over at the door and then back to her. "What if one of them opens the door in the morning?"

She walked over to the door and turned the lock. "Better?"

He shrugged and went to undo his pants. After he was down to just his boxers he fell back on the bed and placed his hands over his face.

She moved in bed beside him and wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his chest.

When he felt her move beside him and put his arms around his body and he shifted on his side and pulled her into him as close as he could. He needed to be near her right now. He needed to be as close as he could to her right now. Not in a sexual way, but he just physically needed her next to him at the moment. He'd needed her for as long as he could remember, far before he knew he was in love with her, before he was even old enough to know what love was, he'd needed her. She was the first person, other than Merle, who'd made him feel like he'd mattered since his mom died. Made him feel like he was safe. Hell, probably even more so than Merle had back then, because Merle was dealing with their mom's loss too. And while Daryl' way of dealing with it had been shutting down and shutting everyone out, his way of dealing with it had been by acting out and staying in trouble. That didn't leave much time for consoling his baby brother. He rested his head against hers and tightened his grip around her. He thought back to all those years ago on the bus when he was just getting to know her. When she'd kept trying to talk to him after he'd tried so damn hard to ignore her or be rude to her.

****Flashback****

 _He was gazing out of the bus window, just like he did every morning, trying his best to ignore every fucking kid on this bus. He hated the bus. It was loud and there were too many people on it. He'd had a seat by himself since he started school. Of course that all changed at the beginning of school last week when that new girl, Carol, had been assigned to sit with him. She bugged the hell out of him. He had just wanted to mind his own business and look out of his window, but she'd tried to talk to him anyway. Then after he got rude with her she pulled out that stupid pop tart and ate it in front of him. He hadn't talked to her since and she hadn't talked to him, but each day she'd gotten on the bus, she'd chunked a pop tart in his lap. He'd look up and meet her eyes questioningly. She'd never respond, she'd just let her eyes linger for a moment and then looked away. He'd eat the pop tart in silence on the way to school, while she sat there eating the one she brought for herself. It drove him crazy, wondering why she kept doing that, despite the fact that he'd been mean to her. She was in almost all of his classes and she'd even given him a pencil when he didn't have one the other day and the teacher asked if anyone had one he could use. He didn't understand her in the least. Most people just ignored him after he treated them like that, and although she was being silent with him, not speaking to him, she was far from ignoring him. In fact, he'd noticed her eyes on him a few times at school. This particular morning when she tossed the pop tart in his lap and he looked up at her, without thinking, he spoke. "Thanks." He mumbled._

 _She looked back over at him, almost in shock he'd said something and that the thing he said was nice. "You're welcome." She replied, cooly._

 _He looked back over at her. Thinking about saying something else, but not knowing what to say. He didn't exactly have friends. Hell, he'd barely spoken to anyone all summer. Not even his dad or his brother. What few people that did talk to him just muttered shit about being sorry for his loss. Offering hollow condolences. Ones that probably made them feel like good people, but just made him relieve his loss. This girl probably didn't know about any of that though, seeing as how she just moved here, but he still decided talking to her wasn't worth the trouble. He was pissed off at the world right now. He had no room for friends. So, he placed his head back against the window and peeled his pop tart wrapper back and started breaking it apart and shoving bits and pieces into his mouth. He ignored her for the rest of the ride._

" _What's your favorite kind?" She asked him, as the bus pulled to a stop in front of the elementary school._

 _He looked back over at her and cocked his brows. "What?"_

" _Your favorite kind of pop tart….my mom's going shopping today and she wants to know what kind I want."_

" _Why?" He asked, scrunching his face._

" _Figured you're getting tired of blueberry….I know I am." She mumbled. "Might as well bring you some kind you like if you're going to be eating them too…If you don't want me to bring you anymore just say so." She rolled her eyes._

 _He really didn't understand this girl at all, but he liked pop tarts and actually having something to eat in the morning. He just shrugged. "Smore's are good." He muttered_

 _()()()_

"I need you." He whispered, as he buried his head between her neck and her shoulder blades.

She rolled over to face him and ran a hand through his hair. She moved her lips on his and let them linger. "I'm right here." She assured him.

He pulled apart from her and met her eyes. "I wouldn't be who I am….not without you….I was fucked up….I'm still fucked up." He confessed. "But if I hadn't met you….."

"You're not fucked up." She interrupted. "Don't let what your dad said get inside your head. He's the one who's fucked up…not you…not Merle…..him."

"Yeah, but…"

"No. No buts." She told him, sternly. She hated seeing him hurting, seeing him so vulnerable. "I meant everything I said earlier. I'm proud of you….You're smart and kind and talented. You're passionate and loyal. You'd do anything for the people you love…If he can't see what an amazing person you are, then he doesn't deserve to be in your life….I know he's your dad…but he's not good for you."

He laid his head on hers. "I just…..I wanted him….to be proud of me….to be proud of Merle. I thought we could tell him how good business was…Show him how hard we'd been working….and that he was wrong when he'd said we'd never be shit…never have shit. It's fucking stupid…I know."

"It's not stupid." She told him softly, as she gripped her hands around his waist. "Some people just don't ever change."

"That's not always a bad thing." He replied, as he held her gaze.


	36. Chapter 36

He woke up before she did that morning. It was still dark outside, but the sky was no longer pitch black. Instead it was a faded blue color it gets as the sun is trying to come up over the horizon. His internal clock had him guessing it was between 5 and 6 a.m. He glanced over at her, she was sleeping peacefully beside him and one of her legs was intertwined with his. Even though everything had ended up shitty at his dad's yesterday and it briefly killed his mood, he'd never been happier than he had been the past two days.

Hell, he'd been happy the last few months just having her back in his life. It wasn't like his life had been bad in Virginia, it wasn't at all. But he still felt a void without her. One that he knew the moment he saw her again in Lori's café that he didn't want to live with anymore. No one could make him feel loved the way she had. Not ever. Even before he knew that she was in love with him, he still knew she loved him in a way that no one else did. Whenever he had been growing up and he was hurting, she'd always been there. And whatever hurt him affected her too. She'd cry for him when his dad hit him or said hurtful things to him. She'd encourage him when he felt like he couldn't do anything right, and he knew she wasn't just saying it to make him feel better. Anything good she ever said about him, she'd meant it. There was a level of sincerity in her voice when she spoke to him, one that no one else had.

He really didn't think he'd be where he was today without her. He wouldn't have made friends with Rick or Glenn or Maggie or any of the others. He wouldn't have given a shit. Not about anyone or anything. Hell, he'd probably be exactly who his dad expected him to be. He'd have probably ended up doing every stupid thing Merle ever did, and then some. If he hadn't of had someone like her to make him wanna do right, he'd have been right there with Merle. And Merle probably wouldn't have straightened up either if Daryl had been there fucking up with him.

So, as he lay beside her on this Christmas morning, he couldn't help but think that this was the best Christmas he'd ever had. He had gotten the best gift ever, her. He started thinking about New Year's Eve next week. He never got excited about the New Year before, it had always been just another day. But he found himself excited that the two of them were going to start the year off together, as a couple. It was easily setting up to be the best year of his life so far. He wanted more than anything to roll over and go back to sleep, but he knew she'd need to be up soon to help get things ready for Christmas lunch. He also didn't want to just follow her out of her bedroom that morning and then proceed to tell her parents they were together. He felt like it would lessen her importance to them somehow, even though they hadn't done anything at all last night. They wouldn't know, though. He just wanted it to be perfect. Her dad already basically told him he thought he was good enough for her and that they should be together, but he just didn't want to make him change his opinion of that. Surprisingly, what the man thought somehow meant a lot to Daryl. He was just going to chalk that up to his own daddy issues.

"Wake up." He whispered, as he gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

She sleepily looked up at him and shot her eyes to the window. She groaned. "Go back to sleep."

"I can't. I need to go home. You gotta be up soon to help your mom heat up everything and get stuff ready."

"So go back to sleep until then…." She replied, still groggy. "You spending the night isn't a big deal…We're adults….I pay all the bills here…we're together…..My dad just likes busting your balls….He didn't really care last time."

He sighed. "I know…but I just don't wanna tell them that way..I like that your dad likes me..besides, I still gotta go home and get your presents and the stuff I got your parents….and I should probably make sure my brother made it home alive." He joked.

She looked up at him and offered a sleepy smile. "I guess you can go since you have my presents there." She placed a quick kiss on his lips. "You feeling better this morning."

"Much better." He replied, then returned the kiss. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas to you too." She smiled again. I'm gonna go make a cup of coffee and then I'll drive you home."

()()()

He followed her into the kitchen and watched as she put a pot of coffee on. He'd gotten dressed since he was going home, but she was still wearing what she'd worn to bed. A large sweater and some boy shorts. He let his gaze sweep up her long legs and, without thinking, he started making his way towards her. She was reaching up in the cabinets and grabbing some mugs when he put his hands around her hips and swung her around to face him.

She jumped a little and let out a gasp, startled by the unexpected contact, but smirked when she turned to face him. He looked down at her and smiled back, before placing his lips to hers. He pushed her back against the counter, his hips pressed firmly against hers and deepened the kiss. He lowered his hands from her hips, down to her things. She gripped his shirt and pulled him closer into her.

"I don't think you should unwrap that present in here." A gruff voice said, startling them both and causing them to pull apart.

They looked at one another and both turned beet red. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He felt like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He looked at Carol and back to her dad. Unsure of what to say.

"Do you two have something you wanna tell us?" Her father asked, arching his brows. Her mother was standing behind him. Her eyes were wide.

Carol went to speak for him, but he took a deep breath and decided it was time to man up. He moved beside her and locked her hand in his. "I care about your daughter a lot…I have for a long time….she came over the other night and we were looking at some old pictures…it got us to thinking about a lot things…we both realized how much we've always meant to each other and we decided we wanted to be together." He stumbled with the words, he said them a little fast and he knew it was a short-handed version of their story that didn't even begin to describe their journey, but it was the parent appropriate one. He looked over to Carol and saw her eyes were lit up and a half smile played at her lips.

We were going to tell you both later today…." Carol added. "He had a rough Christmas Eve and Merle was gone. He just didn't wanna be alone last night…. I was going to take him home before you got up…..we didn't mean for you to see that.." She blushed again.

He stood there staring at the two of them. His wife looked up at him and then back at the new couple. She was smiling. He broke out into a grin too. "It's about damn time." He said, as he slapped Daryl on his shoulder. "But, I'd appreciate it if I never have to see anything like that again." He motioned between them and then to the counter.

()()()

He hadn't immediately gone home after that. He'd stayed in the kitchen with her and her parents and had some coffee. Her parents seemed happy they were together. Her mom had hugged him and told him she always thought they'd end up together. Her dad just winked at him, he knew Daryl already knew what he thought about him. He was happy that things went that well. Still extremely embarrassed that they'd seen them making out, especially since it was the second instance her mother had walked in on, but he was happy it had gone well overall.

After breakfast he checked his phone and saw that he had a voicemail from Merle. When he played it back it was letting him know that Andrea had come looking for him at the bar. He ended up going home with her and he was having dinner her family at Dale's today, instead of his original plan to come Carol's house. Part of Daryl was extremely worried about how that was going to go and what Dale knew about him and Andrea now. Dale wasn't stupid, he wasn't going to think he'd shown up with Andrea for no reason. In fact, he had no clue how it had been almost three months of the two screwing around and Dale hadn't seemed to know about it yet. He just didn't want Merle to screw things up with Andrea since they still owed Dale a good bit of money on the shop. The man loved his niece and he was a bit protective to say the least.

He'd gotten Carol to take him back to his place to get the stuff he had for her and her parents. While they were there they'd made good use of the time they had alone together and picked up where they left off in her kitchen. He knew she was going to miss her parents when they left Saturday, but between them and Merle walking in on shit, he was looking forward to knowing that they'd have a place to be alone. Sex wasn't all he wanted out of this, it wasn't all he thought about. Last night when he was upset it hadn't even crossed his mind to try anything. He'd just needed to hold her next to him then. But he did like the sex part….a lot…..and he felt like they needed to make up for a lot of lost time with that.

They'd gone back to her house and had lunch then the present thing. He'd gotten her parents gift cards. He'd figured they could use them while they were out on the road. They'd given him something too. A new duck call and knife. Her parents had loved the photo album she'd put together for them. He felt slightly guilty as the flipped through it knowing some of those photos had been on his bed Wednesday night. She also gave them a juicer and insisted her dad start using it and adding more fruits and vegetables into his diet and less red meat. She'd made sure had had stayed on top of his diet while he was here, and her mom had too. But she knew that it'd be different when they were traveling a lot again. Her parents had bought her more little odds and ends for the house. Picture frames, towels, throws, china sets. Just lots of different things like that. She'd bought him a scope for his gun and some arrows. She'd also given him a shower kit. One complete with deodorant, cologne, body wash and a tooth brush. He'd joked that he must smell bad and she had to be trying to tell him something. She'd laughed and said it was for when he stayed over with her. He'd gotten her a few more charms for that bracelet he'd given her a while back and a huge thing of her favorite assortment of coffee flavors from Starbucks. He knew she lived off of coffee when she worked 12 hour shifts.

The rest of the day had been pretty relaxed. They'd laid around with her folks talking about old times watching Christmas movies. Her parents on the big couch, while the two of them were curled up on the love seat. It was corny and most of the movies sucked, but he felt like this is what actual families did on Christmas. They sat around and talked and had traditions like watching horrible Christmas movies. No one yelled or bitched and it was….just nice. It was weird not seeing Merle today, though. He hadn't spent Christmas away from him in a long time.

Merle had texted him and told her he was going to stay with Andrea again. He wasn't sure exactly what to think about that. It caught him off guard for sure. Maybe the hard headed son of a bitch finally realized he liked the girl.

He'd ended up staying at Carol's again that night. He'd thought about going home, but he didn't want to. He was planning on it though, since it was her last night with her parents. He didn't want to intrude on any time they might want to spend together, especially since she had to work tomorrow and wouldn't get to see them before she left. She'd asked him to stay though, and surprisingly enough her dad asked him if he was staying. He vaguely remembered her waking him up to kiss her goodbye the next morning. He'd rolled over and gone back to sleep as soon as she left. They'd stayed up late with her parents and he had no clue how she was going to function at work today. He woke up later on, probably around 9. He got dressed and made his way to the back porch for a cigarette. He found her dad out there too, closely observing the backyard.

He must have heard the door close behind Daryl, because he turned to look at him. "You know….I'm really glad Carol was able to get this place back…I kinda missed it." He said, solemnly.

Daryl nodded and pressed the cigarette to his lips and lit it, taking a long drag. "I knew she'd want it as soon as I heard it was for rent. Rick told me she had a hard time when you guys sold the place."

"It was too big for us without her and a house full of neighborhood kids running around. She hardly came home to visit anymore…and we'd always wanted to travel…..I hated to sell it, but we felt like it was right at the time….I guess it all worked out though."

"Yeah…I guess it did." He pondered, as he nervously started shaking his leg and grew quiet. "Hey, can I talk to you about something?"

"What's on your mind son?" Her dad asked, curiously.


	37. Chapter 37

**(This chapter is unorganized and a bit all over the place, I blame that on my overall thought process currently, but everything was too small to be included in separate chapters and I just decided to mesh it all together. Thanks for reading and reviewing.)**

"How was your Christmas?" Carol asked Maggie as she took a seat beside her in the cafeteria on their lunch break.

"It was pretty good until we found out Glenn's sister is having another baby….then Glenn's mom asked me like a hundred times when we were finally going to have one." Maggie replied, rolling her eyes.

"How dare her. You've only been married for six years." Carol sarcastically gasped.

"Hey…you're supposed to be on my side with this one….Between daddy and his mom asking us that all the time I never get any damn peace about it. I don't need someone else telling me when to reproduce." She laughed.

"It's kind of weird no one from our group has kids yet." Carol mused. "Most other people we graduated with have at least one."

"Emily Pritchard has four." Maggie informed her as she took a bite of food. "Shane's probably got 5 or 6 that he doesn't know about."

"You're so mean." She laughed

"It's the truth!" "She chuckled. "Anyway, how was your Christmas?"

A stupid grin lined Carol's face and her eyes lit up. One she couldn't have hidden no matter how hard she tried. "It was really good."

Maggie raised a brow. "Did you get a really cool present or something?"

She paused before answering her. She didn't know if Daryl wanted them to tell people together or if he was okay with her just telling Maggie now. He was the one who said he didn't wanna hide it. "Or something." She decided to go with, still having the grin plastered across her face.

"Did something happen with you and Daryl?" She asked, knowingly. "Did you sleep with him?" She gaped.

"No." She shot out quickly and very unconvincingly. Maggie gave her a look of disbelief. "Well….okay, yes…but that's not why I'm smiling like this….well not the only reason."

"Spit it out already!"

"We're together now….It happened two nights before Christmas." She beamed.

Maggie broke out in a huge grin too. "I'm really happy for you…both of you." She said, as she reached across the table and grabbed her friend's hand. "And I'm happy I'm not going to have to stick my foot up his ass."

()()()

"You just getting in?" Merle asked Daryl after they pulled into their driveway within seconds of each other.

He nodded. "Been at Carol's the last few nights. Probably going back when she gets off work."

"Did you stick it to her with her parents in the house? Was it hard to keep quiet?"

"You're sick you know that." He said, shaking his head and then grew quiet for a moment. "We came back here for a while Christmas morning." He smirked smugly.

"That's my boy." Merle proudly said. "So, how'd things go with her parents?"

"They went good….really good actually." A look of pure contentment playing at his face, one he was sure wasn't going away anytime soon. "How'd Christmas with Andrea's family go?"

"It was alright…..We just went to Dale's. Her parents and her sister were there….it was nothing huge…Her families a lot more fucking normal than ours. They were all so damn nice…it was weird as hell." He ran a hand through his short hair. "Hey, tell Carol that I really appreciate her sending Andrea out to the bar to get me….I woulda ended up doing something stupid if she hadn't shown up."

Daryl leaned against his bike and crossed his arms. "You finally gonna admit you like her?"

"I don't like her like that" He spay back quickly. "but I do like her…..she's a good friend."

"Yeah, okay. Whatever helps you sleep at night." He shook his head and headed for the house.

()()()

"My parents made it to Tennessee alright." She informed him as they entered her house after she got off work. "I think mama said they'd be in the mountains about a month."

"Where they going after that?" He asked, shutting the door behind them.

"She's thinking Florida again …but she isn't sure. She said they'd probably stop in for a night or two on their way back down."

"You alright with them being gone? Having this big house all to yourself?"

She nodded. "I love my parents, but I'm sick and tired of people walking in on us…I'm looking forward to a little privacy. Besides, you'll be here a lot, right?" She looked up at him hopefully.

He nodded. He was looking forward to the privacy thing a lot too.

"I told Maggie about us today." She added, changing topics.

He paused. Thinking back to their conversation in the hospital that day. "What'd she say?"

"She's happy for us." Carol smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I didn't know if you wanted us to tell people together or not, but I was excited…I couldn't help it."

"It's fine." He leaned down and kissed her. "Merle told Andrea….so Michonne's gonna know soon if she doesn't already."

"I'm sure Glenn knows by now too. That means Rick and Lori are gonna be the last to know…" She frowned up a bit.

"What's that face for?"

"Rick's known us the longest….and I guess I feel like I owe him a little….for being a good friend to us both, no matter what…for sending you those pictures."

He thought about it and it kinda made him feel a little bad too. She was right, those pictures were a big catalyst for why they were together right now. "Tell you what, next time we have big news we'll tell him first….and if you want we can go tell them tonight."

"You sure? It's already getting late."

He shrugged. "We ain't gotta work tomorrow and neither do they.

()()()

They got on his bike and made the short ride over to Rick and Lori's. The air was cool and she wrapped her arms around him as tight as she could. She was happy, so freaking unbelievably happy. It had barely been three days, but this was a long time coming. They hadn't spent a night apart since Wednesday and she wasn't looking forward to him ending back up at his own place eventually. It wasn't like they were a normal new couple. She briefly thought about asking him to move in, but she knew that the relationship was still really new. Despite the fact that they'd know each other so long, she felt it would still be wise to take things a little slow…although that was a stretch, because they'd jumped right into bed together and had spent the last three nights together and they were already using the L word. She just didn't want things to get too serious too fast and it to freak him out. Relationships were new to him period. Jumping into a situation where they'd need to share bills and household responsibilities probably wouldn't be smart right now. She saw Rick's house come into view and broke herself out of the thoughts she was having.

He switched the bike off and moved the kickstand up. He headed for the door and she followed right behind him. She watched him place a few hard knocks on the door.

Rick quickly opened it and had a surprised look on his face when he saw the two of them standing there. "Everything alright?" He asked, scrunching his face in confusion.

Carol didn't answer him. Instead she ran up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thank you." She told him emotionally.

He looked perplexed. "For what?" He asked, as he pulled away slightly so she could meet his eyes.

"For keeping him updated on me….for sending him pictures of my graduation….for being a good friend…..for sort of playing a role in us being together."

Rick froze in place. "Wait…you two are a thing now?"

Daryl nodded and pulled her beside him, slipping an arm around her waist."

His lips curled into a half smile. "Lori, come here." He called out.

()()()

They'd spent a while at Lori and Rick's catching them up to speed on how ended up together. They realized halfway through talking to them that they still hadn't told Shane, but Rick was going to tell him when he saw him at work. Then they had gone back to her place and spent the night there. The next morning they woke early up and went to the river walk for run. It was something they did often as long as the weather was permissible. Originally it was a thing Carol had done by herself since moving back home. She wanted to stay in shape since she had to be on her feet all day for work. Daryl had sort of started inviting himself once she mentioned it because it had given him an excuse to be around her more.

"How do you still run so damn fast even though you've been smoking since you were 13?" She asked him, as they came near the end of their fifth lap.

He shrugged and slowed down his pace until he came to a stop. He looked behind him and she was doing the same. He watched as she slowly made her way up beside him. They were in front of the track that was around the dog park and it was directly in front of the power house. They were stopped in front of the trail that led down to it. "You wanna climb to the window?" He asked.

"Last time we were up there I almost made you fall and kill yourself." She pointed out.

"Things were awkward then and you embarrassed me with that shit you said." He added quietly. "I ain't gone fall again….and you can't exactly say shit about me not going down first anymore." He smirked. Now come one." He grabbed her by the hand and drug her along with him.

They carefully made their way to the top and once they reached the window they stood side by side, looking down at the water. The river was still dangerously high from the amount of rain they'd seen the last month. "You remember that time we skipped and came out here…just the two of us." He asked, meeting her eyes. He had his hands placed deep in his pockets and he was swaying back and forth on the balls of his feet.

She looked up at him smiled and then nodded. "I had so much fun that day….except for the sunburn part…I couldn't lay on my back for days." She grimaced at the memory of how painful it was. Then she turned her attention to the graffiti lined wall beside them. She scanned her eyes over the wall searching for their names. There, right beside a pot leaf, she found it. She looked at all the other graffiti near it. Dicks, stars, cuss words, other people's names all lined the wall in an array of different colors and styles. She shook her head, but suddenly a particular sentence on the wall caught her eyes. The spray paint wasn't faded like it was on everything else around them. This was definitely done recently. "Isn't that kinda sweet?" She grinned. "Someone must have gotten engaged up here. Marry me? is spray painted near our names." The way she had been standing to look at the wall had her back facing him where she couldn't get a view of his face. When she turned around to face him her eyes grew wide and she gasped, instinctively placing a hand over her mouth. "Oh my God."

When she'd turned around to face the wall he'd very quietly positioned himself on one knee with a small black box in his hand. He was now holding it out towards her. His fucking heart was pounding so hard he was almost certain she could hear it. He knew he could hear it. Every quick beat that pounded out seemed to vibrate throughout his body. The air felt thick and his breathe quickened. He was shaking by the time she finally turned around to face him and he almost wasn't even able to get the words out of his mouth by this point. He bit his bottom lip hard and forced the words out from deep inside. His tone came out high and cracked. A mixture of nervousness, trepidation, and hope all somehow tightly bundled into one. "Will you?"


	38. Chapter 38

She felt her breath catch in her chest as she took in the sight before her. Daryl in front of her on bended knee, black box in hand, asking her to marry him. To say this was unexpected would be a huge understatement. They'd only been together four days. Hell, consider the fact that it was late that Wednesday night when it happened it was really only like three and a half. So it was safe to say that she had no idea this was coming. She loved him, God only knows, she loved him more than anything in this world. When they were teenagers she'd imagined a moment like this one day, but back then she thought all it would ever be was just wishful thinking. Right now, as he knelt before her, shaking so badly she could see the ring box vibrating, she didn't know what to say. Did she want to marry him one day? Yes. She did. She really did. She couldn't imagine not having him in her life again. She knew she wanted to be with him for the rest of her life. She knew that she'd never love anyone else the way she loved him, she knew that no one else would ever love her the same way he did. Despite their past, she had truly realized he'd always loved her. Even when he ran away, even when he didn't talk to her for years, she was still at the forefront of his mind, as he'd been at hers.

But a little over three months ago she'd been engaged to another man. Three month ago she'd sat in this very spot, trying desperately to clear her head and understand what she felt running into him again. Anger, hurt, sadness, yet even then, even with all of that bitterness running through her, she still felt like a piece of her was whole again when she'd seen him. One that had been missing far too long.

What would it mean if she told him no? It would crush him. No doubt about that. He'd always been scared of rejection. Of not being loved. Of not being good enough. It was what sent him running back then. It was a huge deal that he'd gotten the nerve to do this. To ask her to marry him and not know what her answer would be. She didn't want to hurt him, to cause him pain, to make him feel like he wasn't good enough. Because that wasn't the truth, he was. She was just scared this was a decision that was made without thinking it through clearly. One he might come to regret making a day, a month, a year from now. She didn't wanna fuck this up. She didn't rush things and then later one of them to freak out because they realized they made a decision that was based on the euphoria of finally having what you wanted for so damn long mixed with the intoxication they felt when their bodies were intertwined.

She knew she'd gone too long without saying anything. She just stood there in front of him. Her hand still covering her mouth as all those thoughts swirled around in her head. She saw the look in his eyes. It was guarded, fearful. He looked so child-like. She forced herself to move towards him and she cupped his chin in the palm of one of her hands. "Daryl, I love you…you know that." She began.

Her voice was soft and careful. He could tell she was trying to brace him. To gently explain why this wasn't a good idea right now. He felt his stomach start to turn. Maybe he hadn't gone about this the right way. He knew this probably caught her completely off guard. He hadn't said enough so far. In fact, he'd only said two words. He had let his nerves get the best of him. He needed to say more, because he wanted her to know why he was doing this. That he meant it more than he'd ever meant anything. "I love you too." He interrupted. "And I know this seems fast and it seems like it came out of nowhere. He moved one of his hands from where it had been resting on his knee and ran it through his hair and sighed. "Ever since I saw you again, all I wanted was to fix everything….to have you in my life again…to be your best friend again…but I knew I still loved you…then Maggie told me I better make damn sure I knew what I wanted this time…..and I thought about it…and all I wanted was to be with you." He used the hand that he ran through his hair to reach out and lock her hand in his. "I ain't asking you to marry me tomorrow, or next week, hell maybe not even next year if you ain't ready then. I'm just trying to say that it's where I want this to go. I don't wanna fuck this up. I don't ever wanna lose you again….I wanna be with you the rest of my life. "

She stood in front of him in sheer silence as he spoke. She felt her pulse quicken. Her heart beating faster and faster. Suddenly, she dropped down on her knees where she was level with him. Her knees connected with the concrete floor hard, but at the moment she didn't care. She placed both hands behind his head, pulling his lips to hers. "I wanna spend the rest of my life with you too, Daryl Dixon." She choked out between tears of happiness. So, yeah... I'll marry you." Everything he'd said, every single word resonated so well with her. They weren't the words of someone who hadn't thought this out. Who'd made this decision lightly, they were words of someone who knew exactly what he wanted and didn't ever want to let it go again. Maybe it was crazy, maybe no one else would understand it, but it was what she wanted too. It was like he said, just because they were engaged it didn't mean they had to rush off and get married right now. It just meant that they knew they wanted to be together, to build a life together, and they were promising each other that would happen.

 **(This is a short one. I know it this seems a little fast, but I promise that there is a method to my madness. Thanks for reading and reviewing.)**


	39. Chapter 39

He was grinning from ear to ear as he slid that ring on her finger. He had been scared to death to ask her. He knew that there was a chance she wouldn't say yes and she'd think he was crazy….but he was fucking ecstatic that she'd said yes. This was all getting too surreal. Things were going way too fucking good lately. His business, his friendships, his relationship with her. Everything was going so smoothly. He stood up and pulled her up with him. resting his forehead against hers. "I swear that was the longest damn minute of my life waiting for you to say something."

She let out a laugh and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I wasn't expecting that at all. Not at all…everyone is gonna think we're crazy."

"Fuck what they think." He snorted. "It ain't their life. We supported Glenn when he asked Maggie to marry him right out of high school… we didn't say a damn thing when they planned to get married less than six months later."

"We didn't, but some other people did. "She recalled, as she moved her head to his shoulder and nuzzled against him. "But you're right, fuck what our friends think." She let a smile spread across her face. "I can't believe you asked me to marry you….I used to imagine it when I was younger...that you'd confess your love for me and we'd get married after I finished college…but I never thought it would really happen."

He hummed. He hadn't thought about it when he was younger. Not marriage. He thought about being with her a lot. He knew he didn't want anyone else, but he hadn't thought about weddings or proposals. Maybe that was more of a girl thing. "Was this too fucking corny?" He asked her curiously, wondering if spray painting marry me on the wall was a stupid decision.

She shook her head. "No…I think it was perfect…this place…it has a lot of memories for us….a lot of history." She looked over to the wall and took his hand. She stepped in front of where he'd spray painted the words and pulled out her phone. She leaned up to place a gentle kiss on his lips and moved her hand, cupping the side of his face. She snapped a picture and then looked it over. It turned out good. The ring was visible. The words were visible. Both were smiling as they kissed. "I'm gonna send this to my parents…they're probably not going to know what to think." She laughed. "But I can't exactly drive to Tennessee just to tell them.

"Actually….they already knew I was going to ask you."

 _***Flashback to the day after Christmas***_

" _Sure, what's on your mind son?" Carol's dad replied to Daryl in response to him asking if they could talk about something._

 _Daryl looked up at him and then down to the ground. He chewed at his bottom lip and nervously started shaking his right leg._

 _Her dad stood there, silently watching him, and raised an eyebrow. Daryl was the one who'd initiated this conversation. Now it didn't seem like he wanted to bring up whatever it was. He thought back to the way that he'd found them this morning in the kitchen. He thought back to the fact that his daughter had spent the last three nights with him and that he knew they'd spent several nights together in the last month, including four days in that hotel while he was in the hospital. "Did you knock her up?" He asked, no hint of playfulness in his tone._

 _That got Daryl's attention and his head shot up. He stopped shaking his leg and froze in place all together. He started shaking his head and stammering. "Wh….what? N…No. We haven't even been together long enough for me to…..knock her up….or we wouldn't know yet anyway if I did I guess… but we're really careful…..we always use…" He looked over and noticed and her dad was crossing his arms over his chest and giving him a stern look. He grimaced and felt his face flush. "I mean….no…that's ain't what this is about." His head fell again._

 _Her dad felt relieved to know that he wasn't about to be a grandpa. He liked Daryl a lot, but he knew he was just starting a business and Carol worked 12 hour shifts. Plus, this relationship was still so new to them and they had just started to get to know each other again. He thought they needed some time before that happened. "Well, if she isn't pregnant, then what's got you so damn nervous?"_

 _He looked up to meet Mr. Pelitier's eyes, took a deep breath and swallowed hard. "I wanna marry your daughter."_

 _Now it was Mr. Pelitier's turn to freeze in place and grow silent. That was unusual for him, because he usually found some type of sarcastic remark or a way to bust Daryl's balls about something. He hadn't been expecting this at all though, and he didn't find it to be a joking matter. "Are you serious about this?" He finally asked._

 _He nodded. "Dead ass serious."_

" _Is this because she was gonna marry Ed?" He asked carefully. "I know it upset you a lot when you found out she had been engaged, but I don't want you to rush into anything because it."_

" _That ain't it." He replied, frustrated, but that's just how he sounded anytime that asshole was brought up. He sighed heavily. He didn't like talking about his emotions with other people. He hadn't even admitted to her dad that he loved her yesterday morning, he'd just said he cared a lot about her. "I love her…more than I love anyone else in the world…..more than I love my damn self….I screwed up some stuff a long time ago…I was young and I was scared and I didn't see her for six years because of it…I never thought I'd see her again…but when I did…..it got me thinking and I knew that this time around I wanted to do this…I wanted to be with her and I never wanna lose her again…I wanna spend the rest of my life with her…I know it's fast and it don't make sense…but it ain't like we just met…..I've known her since I was 8 fucking years old and a lot of shit has changed since then, but she hasn't…she's my best friend…she's the one person besides my brother I know I could always count on…that I knew loved me no matter what...We can be engaged as long as she wants to….we ain't gotta run off to the courthouse and get married or nothing and I wouldn't wanna do that no way…I want her to have whatever kinda wedding she wants whenever she wants…but I just want her to know that this is where we are going…that this is it for me."_

 _Her dad nodded and let a grin sweep his face. "I married her mother six months after I met her. I was going to the military...stuff like that was pretty normal back then…but my parents told me that it wouldn't last…..that I didn't know her well enough…and that I'd be gone for a while after the honeymoon and I'd come back a different person. We survived me being gone to basic training for three months and then me being deployed for a year and a half, and it's lasted forty damn years so far." He reached out and placed a hand on Daryl's shoulder. "I told you that no man's ever good enough for your daughter until one day one is….you have my blessing, son."_

 _****End of Flashback****_

They'd left the powerhouse and headed back to Daryl and Merle's. They felt like Merle should be the next person to know aside from her parents. Then they would tell Rick and Lori. The ride over was the first time she'd really had a chance to get a good look at the ring. It had been of secondary importance to her shock and elation, but as she did, she couldn't help but notice how nice it was. How expensive it looked. "This is real isn't it?"

"It sure as hell ain't come out of damn bubble gum machine." He snorted.

She rolled her eyes at him, but softened her expression quickly. "You didn't have to get something so expensive."

"I got what I figured you'd like." He shrugged. "I wasn't about to go get some cheap ass ring that'd turn your finger green…just don't lose it…I'm still paying on it." He grinned.

"Don't worry…it's not coming off my finger." She beamed as she looked down at the ring again.

()()()

When they reached the house he and Merle shared they lucked out and it appeared he was home. He wasn't sure what Merle was going to say….he knew there was a good chance he would be offended Daryl hadn't sought his opinion on this. But, as much as Merle supported the two of them and despite the fact he knew Merle loved Carol, he'd worried his brother would try and talk him out of this.

"You finally decided to quit fucking for a minute and come back home?" Merle smirked, as he saw the duo enter the front door while he was standing in the kitchen.

"Don't be jealous, Merle. It's not his fault he can last longer." She shot him a smirk of her own.

"Wanna bet on that one, darling?" He replied lowly, and gave her a wink.

"You couldn't handle me." She spat back.

Daryl scowled at them. "I hate both of you." He walked over to the fridge and pulled out two beers. He tossed one to Merle and kept one for himself. He didn't offer Carol one because he knew she only drank wine coolers and liquor. "Can we talk to you a sec?" He asked, as he nervously ran his hands over the top of the bottle.

Merle took a swig of beer and a knowing look shot across his face. "You knocked her up didn't you? You slept with her down in Savannah and you didn't tell me."

Carol's jaw dropped. "Why do people keep thinking he knocked me up." She hissed. "Am I getting fat?" She looked over to Daryl, because she knew he wouldn't be able to look her in the eyes and lie.

"You ain't getting fat." Daryl replied, rolling his eyes. She was far from fat. She'd always been tall and lean.

Merle looked at her and shrugged. "You ain't fat…but you have put on a pound or two."

Daryl reached over and punched him in the arm.

"Ow…asshole." He scowled and grabbed his arm. "I didn't mean nothing bad by it. She's still fucking skinny as hell." He leaned forward and poked her belly in the belly. "So, is there a little Dixon in there?"

"No….fucking asshole." Daryl snapped. "We ain't having a kid."

She looked down at her stomach and frowned a bit. She had put on two or three pounds, but she didn't think it was noticeable. Her mom had been cooking for her this past month and sneaking her treats at night. Plus she'd eaten her weight in food on Christmas. She made a mental note to do some extra laps at the track tomorrow.

Daryl looked over at her and noticed she was looking at her stomach. "You ain't fucking fat. Merle's a dick... I like the way you look."

Merle rolled his eyes. "Before you two start with your sappy shit…go ahead and tell me whatever the fuck it is you came here to tell me."

They looked at one another and then back to Merle. Daryl popped the cap off of the beer bottle and took a long sip. "I asked her to marry me."

Merle had been sipping his beer too when Daryl went to speak. He spit half of it out and chocked on the other half. He stared at them both blankly. When he regained his composer her broke out into hysterical laughter. "No you're not!"

"Yeah, we are." Daryl replied.

"Stop fucking with me." Merle laughed some more.

"We aren't fucking with you… we're serious." Carol replied, narrowing her eyes on Merle.

"No you ain't…you ain't even been together but three damn days.

"Four." Carol corrected, holding out her hand to show the number four.

Merle looked closely at her hand when she threw it in front of his face. He saw the ring. And it wasn't a small dinky one either His little brother spent some money on this. "Holy shit!" He mumbled, grabbing her head and pulling it towards him for a closer look. "Why the fuck didn't you tell me you were gonna ask her you cock sucker?" He barked.

"Figured you'd try to talk me out of it." He answered honestly and shrugged.

He scowled and folded his arms across his chest. "I'm your damn brother…you shoulda told me."

"I didn't tell anyone…other than her parents. I talked to her dad before I did it…that's it…no one else knew and you're the first person we told besides them."

Merle deepened his scowl. "Hmmm."

"Stop being a selfish prick about it and making our engagement about you not knowing." Daryl scowled back. "Now are you gonna cry because I didn't ask your permission or are you gonna tell us congratulations?"

Merle looked to Carol and then to his baby brother. "This is what you want? Both of you want this and it ain't some spur of the moment bull shit you're gonna freak out about and back out of a month from now?

"We aren't rushing into the wedding or anything." Carol began. "But we know we wanna get married…we know that this it…that we wanna be together for the rest of our lives."

Daryl nodded and took his hand in hers. "You know I ain't never loved no one else…that I never stopped thinking about her."

Merle sighed. "I ain't pretending to understand this shit…I ain't ever gonna pretend to understand a damn thing about the relationship you two have always had….but if you say this is what you want, then I'm supporting you." He locked eyes with Carol and pulled her in for a hug. "Welcome to the family, darling."


	40. Chapter 40

**(Thanks for reading and reviewing! Here's the next one!)**

Over the next couple of days they told their friend's about their engagement and they got mixed reactions. Maggie and Glenn seemed to be genuinely happy for them. Sure, they had been surprised, but they didn't say anything negative or question them. They simply told them congratulations and that they were happy for them. Rick and Lori had told them they were happy for them, but had a million questions about being sure that they wanted this and saying it was a little fast. Lori, as always, thought she was being a voice of reason. Carol had assumed Rick would have had a lot less questions if it wasn't for Lori. Shane flat out said he thought they were rushing things. Michonne simply congratulated them and said she better be in the wedding whenever it happened, but she had a look in her eyes that told Carol she thought they were jumping into things too, even if she was nice enough not to voice her opinion. Andrea had initially seemed to think it was crazy and told them both that, but this was Andrea, and she would have said that if they'd been dating a year and did this. She softened and gave them a smile after all the shit she talked that let Carol know she really was happy for them though.

It was New Year's Eve now, and everyone was meeting up at Maggie and Glenn's for a party tonight. It would just be their old crew, plus Merle, just like it had been a few months ago after Carol had moved back home. She had to work today, but she was supposed to get off a little after nine. She planned to go home and change and then head straight there. Daryl was going to head over a little earlier than her. Everyone else was going to get there right around nine and she didn't see the point on him having to wait for her.

They hadn't spent a night apart since the first night they got together eight days ago. When she woke up that morning she had kissed him goodbye and left for work. She was excited about the party tonight. She was excited about the New Year in general. There were a lot of big things coming. Rick and Lori's wedding in March for starters. She was thinking that maybe she would start to plan her own wedding as well. They hadn't set a date yet. He'd told her whenever she wanted to get married was okay with him and that whatever kind of wedding she wanted was okay with him. It was still early and they had plenty of time to flesh all of that out. All she knew was, this was shaping up to be a really great year and she'd never been happier.

()()()

Daryl, Merle and Andrea all rode together to Maggie and Glenn's that night. They actually ended up getting there earlier than nine. They didn't have anything else to do after closing the shop up at six and they didn't wanna sit at the house. Daryl planned on just crashing there for the night. He was in a good fucking mood and he wanted to have a few drinks to celebrate. Last time Carol was here with him she'd gotten trashed and he knew she'd probably want to unwind after working all day. He figured they could just take the guest room they'd slept in last time. Glenn had said it would be fine earlier in the week. So, as soon as they walked through the door he'd gone to the kitchen and grabbed a beer.

"You damn sure took what I said about knowing what you wanted this time around to heart didn't you?" Maggie smiled as she walked up beside him.

He shrugged and looked over at her. He was wearing a goofy grin. One she'd seen him sporting every day this week when he'd show up to have lunch with Carol at the hospital. "You did kinda threaten me."

She shook her head. "I meant it too. Daddy taught me how to neuter cats back when I worked for him when I was still in high school. Don't think I couldn't have done it to you."

He nudged her shoulder and took a sip from his beer. His second one of the night. "Hey…thanks for helping me out that day and telling me when her lunch was. You didn't have to."

"I know I didn't. "She paused. "but I knew you wouldn't screw up again. Not after you spilled your guts to me while I put those butterfly stiches on. I'd never heard you talk so much before in your life."

()()()

"So, what are your plans tonight?" Jacquie asked Carol as she watched her bottle feed one of the infants in the NICU. She noticed Carol didn't look up at her. "Carol? Hey, Carol?"

Carol hadn't heard a word she was she was saying. Her eyes were fixed on the child. One who'd been born two months early and had been with them ever since. One who almost died on more than one occasion right in this very room. He had only been 2.1 lbs when he was born. His lungs severely underdeveloped. He'd also had some issues with his heart as well. His parents were young teenagers. She would be surprised if they were even 17. She wasn't even sure if they were together. They never seemed to be there at the same time. Yet she'd seen both parents come in, their own parents in tow, and cry and pray over this child multiple times the last two months. Tomorrow, this little boy would go home. This job was hard sometimes. It had a way of getting to you. Not all stories ended up happy like this. Heartbreakingly, not all babies made it home all of the time and it was never easy when one didn't.

She could tell that Carol was lost in her own little world looking at the child. When you spend this much time with a child, helping them fight for their life, you can't help but get attached. He'd been there the longest of any baby since Caro joined NICU and she'd worked closely with him. "Pretty amazing huh?" Jacquie said with a smile as she approached Carol and the baby.

She nodded. Her eyes still trained on the infant, who now weighed a whopping 5 lbs. "It is. He'll get to start his new year with his family."

She nodded too. "He's a tough one." She replied, running her hands through the baby's dark hair. "He's gonna be just fine though. He's got a lot of love and support waiting for him at home."

()()()

Rick and Lori joined the party next. Followed by Shane and then Michonne. Everyone was drinking and having a good time. Daryl and Glenn were currently in a game of beer pong.

"Dude, you're going to get me so fucked up." Glenn, laughed as Daryl sunk another shot in beer pong.

"I'm trying to see how red your face can get, little man." He smirked. He was on his fourth beer now and he was starting to feel it. He was having a good time, a damn good time. He glanced up at the clock and noticed it was a quarter till ten. He had expected Carol to get here before then, but figured she'd just gotten caught up at work. He started to play another game of beer pong and decided if she wasn't here by ten he'd call her to make sure everything was okay.

()()()

"Happy New Year!" Maggie screamed as she opened the door. Then added. "You're late." When Carol arrive five minutes before ten.

"Sorry, I got a little caught up at work." She mumbled, stepping inside. "Where's Daryl?" She asked, as she twiddled her thumbs in her hand.

"He's in the kitchen." Maggie replied, eyeing her friend carefully. She noticed she was still wearing her scrubs and she had a worn look on her face. "Are you alright?

"I just had a rough day." She said, dismissively. "I'll be fine." She made her way into the living room and said quick hello's to Michonne, Lori and Rick. She headed for the kitchen to find Daryl and saw him playing beer pong with Glenn.

He saw her walk in and stopped what he was doing and headed for her. He walked up and placed a kiss on her lips. "Hey, sweetheart."

She could tell her was almost drunk. His eyes were more squinty than normal and she could taste the beer as soon as their lips connected. As they broke apart she wrapped her arms tightly around him.

He instantly knew something was off. She'd smiled every single damn day like he had the last week. She'd been looking forward to this party. She'd been looking forward to being around all of their friends. "What's wrong?" He asked, pushing away from her slightly so their eyes could meet.

"It's nothing." She shook her head, but he narrowed his eyes on her. He didn't believe her. "I just had a rough day at work…I'm exhausted."

"Do you wanna go home?" He asked, disappointment clear in his voice.

"Are you having fun?" She asked.

"Yeah, but if you don't feel good."

"I'll be fine." She replied sternly. "It was just a rough day. We'll talk about it later."

"You sure?" His eyes were hesitant. Concern etched on his face.

"I'm sure."

"You want a drink to take the edge off?"

"No….I wanna go home later…if that's okay with you."

He nodded. "Just tell me when you're ready to go." He wrapped his arms around her and started rubbing her back. "I'm sorry you had a shitty day. I love you."

"I love you too." She replied, gripping him tightly.

()()()

They stayed at the party. She seemed to loosen up after a while, but she was still quieter than normal and she'd followed him everywhere. Holding tightly onto his hand. It reminded him of the night her dad had the heart attack. He was worried about her. He'd seen her come home from work upset before when she lost a patient. He wondered if something like that happened today. He knew that job couldn't be easy.

Before he knew it they were counting down for the ball to drop. The group called out in unison. "5, 4, 3, 2, 1. HAPPY NEW YEAR!" They all screamed. The two of them had been sitting on the couch. She was in his lap. He leaned his head in and kissed her again. "Happy New Year." He whispered. "This was the best ending to a year I've ever had and it's the best start. I can't wait to see what this year brings and I can't wait to marry you."

She looked up at him and felt tears form in the corner of her eyes. Her face contorted and she bit her bottom lip hard. She jumped out of his lap and snatched his hand. She made a beeline for the guest room. She was pulling at his hand hard and practically sprinting. She heard their friends cheer and whistle.

He heard them too. He knew what they thought, but he knew she wasn't dragging him to the room to screw around. There was an urgency in her walk and he could feel her hand trembling in his. He had no clue what the fuck was going on, but his stomach was doing flips and his heart was pounding. It couldn't be anything good. "You gonna tell me what the hell is going on?" He begged once they made their way into the room and she shut the door behind them.

She dropped his hand, ran her hands through her short hair, and fell back into the wall. She slumped down into the floor and placed her head in her hands, pulling her knees up to her chest. She felt her body start to tremble.

He heard her choke back tears. He was scared shitless at this point. He slid himself down beside her and wrapped an arm around her. "What happened today?" He asked her, softly.

She wouldn't look up at him. She wouldn't meet his eyes. "I'm pregnant." She choked out.

He felt his stomach drop. Panic rising deep into his chest at those words. But then he realized that it shouldn't even be possible for her to know what yet. He wondered if she and Merle were in on some sort of fucking joke. If it was, she was a damn good actress and he was going to fucking kill them both. "That ain't funny." He snapped, growing completely serious and tensing up. "We barely been screwing around a damn week and I used a condom every single time."

"It's not yours." She choked out again before bursting into tears.


	41. Chapter 41

**(I wanted to update last night, but had to go to a conference. Fortunately I got to come home early today and had some free time this afternoon. Stuff and thangs are gonna get real for a while. Thanks for reading and reviewing. The reviews are always appreciated.**

When the words left her mouth he felt his blood run cold. He snatched his arm out from behind her and leapt to his feet. He swayed a little once he was upright, his balance slightly distorted from all the beer he'd drank earlier. "What the hell you mean it ain't mine?" He growled. "Who the hell's is it then?"

His expression was pained a she could hear the hurt and anger in his voice. She wanted to wait to tell him about this until tomorrow, not that it would be any easier then or that it would hurt him any less, but she wanted him to have one last good night before she brought his world crashing down on him. She couldn't help it after everything he said in the living room after the ball dropped. She was trying so hard to hold herself together and stay as composed as possible, but she felt so guilty knowing how much this was going to tear him apart. It was already tearing her apart. She felt like her heart was shattering into a million pieces. "I told you, you're the only guy I've ever slept with besides Ed….It's his." She managed between tears, barely above a whisper.

Before he realized what he was doing he picked up a vase that Maggie and Glenn had sitting on the dresser. He chunked it hard and it hit the wall. He heard the glass shatter and watched as it crumbled into pieces onto the floor. He knew everyone else in the house had to hear it too, but at the moment he didn't care. He'd never been so hurt and pissed off in his life. "Did you fuck him after I went home? After all that shit that happened in the hotel and you said you was mine even if we weren't together yet?" His voice was harsh, but he was still keeping his tone quiet enough that everyone else couldn't hear what they were talking about.

She felt her body jerk when he slammed the vase against the wall. She'd never been scared of him, she'd never thought he would hurt her, but after living with someone like Ed for almost two years the action still managed to startle her. It startled her enough she stopped crying for a moment. She had still been scrunched up on the floor with her knees at her chest and her head down in her hands. She forced herself to look up at him and meet his eyes, which were shooting daggers at her right now. "Do you really think I'd do that to you? Do you really think I'd have even done that if even if I didn't love you? He hit me and I left, I wouldn't have gone running to him as soon as you went home." She spoke firmly, but a few tears managed to slip out of the corner of her eyes and run down her cheeks. It honestly did sting that he thought she'd done anything with Ed after all that happened at the hotel.

Did his rational side think she'd have done something like that? No. He knew her, he trusted her. He trusted her more than he trusted anyone. But right now he didn't know what the fuck to think and he knew she wasn't the fucking Virgin Mary and it had to have happened some way. And plus she'd hidden the fact that she'd been engaged from him until her dad actually told him. "Then how the fuck did you end up pregnant with another man's kid?" He yelled.

She sighed and hung her head. She knew he was mad. She knew he was upset and he had a right to feel how he did, but it also hurt to have him so hostile towards her. "It happened before I left him…I'm a little over three months."

()()()

"What the hell are they doing in there?" Glenn said, looking towards the hallway once he heard the glass shatter.

Merle let out a laugh. "He probably threw her up on the dresser and started going to town. They been like little rabbits ever since they started fucking."

"Yeah, well they could have waited until they got home." Glenn grumbled, rolling his eyes. "Between you and him I'm starting to think you get laid here more than I do." He looked up over and saw Maggie glaring at him.

"Guess you won't be getting any tonight either." She smirked.

Andrea and Merle let out a laugh, but suddenly everyone in the living room froze when they heard Daryl yell, "Then how the fuck did you end up pregnant with another man's kid?"

Everyone grew completely silent and stood frozen in place. You could have heard a pen drop in the room. Then whispers of did you know began to circle around the room. Everyone just shook their heads no. Finally, Rick started moving towards the bedroom door but Merle put a hand out to stop him. "You ain't gonna wanna go in there right now." He warned.

"I think someone needs too…He's been drinking…..he's really upset."

"Hey." Merle told him sternly and locked eyes with him. "He ain't gonna put a hand on her. He wouldn't do that….but you're right, he's really upset and that don't mean he wouldn't hit you or me or Glenn or Shane because of it if we went in there. This ain't our business…it's between them.

()()()

He swallowed hard. Some of his anger dissipating once he actually got a good look at her and saw how upset she was too. How she'd been crying and how much telling him was hurting her. He walked over and slumped down the wall until he was sitting beside her again. "How could you not tell me that?" He asked quietly, a sob rising in his own throat.

"Daryl, I didn't know, you should know that." She told him softly. "Think about where I was going today."

 _***Flashback to earlier in the day***_

" _Hi, I'm Carol Pelitier. I'm here for my appointment with Dr. Porter." She smiled as she approached a receptionist at the OB/GYN office._

" _Hello Ms. Pelitier. It's nice to meet you. If you would fill these out and we'll take you back shortly." The receptionist handed her some paper work attached to a clip board. "Say, do you work here?" She asked curiously, noticing that she was donning a pair of scrubs._

 _She nodded. "I'm in NICU." She took the paperwork from the woman went to her seat and started filling it all out. She walked up and returned it to the woman when she was done._

" _Are you engaged?" She asked, noticing the ring as Carol handed her the clip board back._

 _Another smile swept across her lips. "Yes, I got engaged Sunday."_

" _Congratulations." The receptionist told her, smiling back._

 _She'd gone and taken a seat again and no more than five minutes later the nurse came and called her back. She did all of the routine things. Checked her weight, took her blood pressure and asked her if she was on any medications. Once that was over she'd told her the doctor would be in shortly. She sat on the exam table awkwardly looking around the room. She'd always hated these appointments. There was nothing fun about sitting on that cold table, getting spread eagle in front of you doctor an having metal tools shoved up your vagina. But she had actually been due for her yearly appointment right after moving back home. She hadn't found a doctor here immediately because she'd been so busy at first. She and Daryl had been at her house the night after her parents left. Things got heated and he hadn't thought to bring protection. They'd almost gone ahead and done it but put the brakes on long enough to go to the store. After that she suggested going on the pill and he was all for it. She'd asked to be worked in Monday and they told her the soonest they could get here in would be Friday. So now here she was, waiting on the doctor to come in and do the exam so she could get back on the pill._

" _You're Carol right?" The doctor asked, as he walked in looking over her chart._

 _She nodded. "And you're Dr. Porter?" She replied, raising an eyebrow. He wasn't what she'd expected at all. He had a freaking mullet for crying out loud._

" _Call me Eugene, please." He said with smile. "I like to be on a personal level with my patients. It kinda makes it less awkward when I look at their vaginas and all."_

" _Um..Okay." She shifted a bit._

" _It gets less weird. Trust me. So…you're just here for an annual exam and you want to get put back on birth control?"_

" _Yes."_

" _What kind were you on before?"_

" _Lo Ovral."_

" _And when did you stop taking it?"_

" _Mid to late September I guess."_

" _Have you been sexually active since?"_

" _Yes."_

" _Are you using back up methods?"_

" _Yes."_

" _Okay." He told her, marking his chart. "So before we do anything else, I just get my patients to take a routine pregnancy test."_

 _She arched her eyebrows and let out a laugh. "I'm not pregnant."_

" _I'm sure that's the case ma'am….but I still need you to urinate on this for me." He replied, handing her the test. "It's standard procedure for me before I start anyone on birth control."_

 _She took the test from him, rolled her eyes, and headed to the bathroom. When she returned she handed him the stick and took her seat back on the table. She started making small talk with him, not giving a second thought to the test sitting on the counter. She watched as he glanced over at it._

" _I see that ring on your finger. May I assume you're engaged?"_

" _I'd say that's a good assumption." She smirked. He was weird and slightly awkward, but he actually wasn't so bad once she started talking to him._

" _Well, tell your fiancé congratulations. He's going to be a daddy." He replied, holding the test up to her where she could see two very clear pink lines._

 _She felt her heart drop. Chills ran down her spine. "That's not possible." She stammered. Give me another one. That one has to be wrong…it can't be right."_

" _Ma'am I do realize you were using protection, but condoms aren't always 100% effective. Pre-seminal fluid has been known to get you pregnant too you know…in fact."_

" _Until last Wednesday I hadn't have sex in three months." She snapped. "I can't be pregnant. Your test can't know this soon. The test is wrong."_

 _He watched her closely. "I'll let you take another one…but if it's positive too I'm going to conduct a blood test."_

" _It won't be." She snapped again. Silently praying it wouldn't._

 _Unfortunately for her, the second result came up positive too. He'd asked her questions like if she'd had morning sickness, felt dizzy, felt fatigued, missed any periods. She'd told him she hadn't missed her period, but they had been lighter and a little irregular. She had chalked that up getting off birth control after she moved home. She knew the hormone fluctuations could mess with your cycle. She hadn't had morning sickness or been dizzy. She had been a little tired after moving back home, but she attributed that to stress and not sleeping as good at Lori and Ricks. She also hadn't been urinating more or had any breast tenderness. He ordered a blood test and she sat in the room alone waiting for what felt like an eternity._

 _Eugene finally came back in the room holding a piece of paper. He had a guarded look on his face as he handed it to her. "It's positive…..and according to your levels it does look like you're about three months along."_

 _She gripped the thin paper on the exam table hard and started shaking her head. "I can't be pregnant…I can't be…I've been drinking…..I went to the fair….I rode four-wheelers…motorcycles…Daryl's motorcycle." She replied, trying to push the sob in her throat back down._

 _He walked up and hesitantly put a hand on her shoulder. "We'll get you an appointment to make sure everything is okay with the baby." He told her softly. "Don't be hard on yourself…you didn't know…sometimes it happens. They made a show about it you know…"_

 _She bit her bottom lip hard, not really registering what he was saying. How could she not know? How could she not realize it for this long? She endangered an unborn child. She felt like she was already the world's worst mother. Then she looked down at her left hand. The bracelet Daryl had given her and her engagement ring caught her eye. She felt the tears start to trickle down. How the hell was she going to tell him this? How the hell was she going to do this? That's why she left Ed in the first place. She didn't want to have kids with him. She didn't want to bring a child into a home with a father that would hurt them._

 _***End of Flashback***_

He let the back of his head hit the wall hard. Whatever buzz he did still have from earlier had been knocked clean out of him. This hurt. It fucking hurt. The woman he loved, the woman he was going to marry was carrying another man's child. Not just any man's child either, that sorry son of a bitches. He felt like his breath had been knocked out of him. He felt numb. Like this was some sort of fucked up dream and he should wake up any minute. And she was hurting too and that hurt him fucking worse now that he wasn't being fueled by shock and anger. "What are you going to do?" He choked out.

She swallowed hard. As if she was expecting him to ask that. "I thought about not…keeping it...for half of a second." She paused to wipe her eyes. "But…I'm already so far along…and…and I see babies everyday…fighting for their life…their families just praying that they survive….if I didn't keep this baby….if I did that…it would be all I thought about every single day."

He looked over and met her eyes. "I wasn't asking you to do that…I wouldn't ask you to do that….It ain't my body…it ain't my kid…it ain't my choice." He replied, his voice growing quieter with every word. "I just meant….are you gonna tell him? Are you gonna go back and be with him for the baby?" He hung his head.

Her eyes grew hard and her voice became firm. "No. That's why I left him in the first place…I realized I didn't want to have kids with someone like that. I didn't want my future children to have to go through that….go through what you went through….and I don't love him….I love you." She started crying again.

He just nodded and grew silent. He brought his thumb up to his lips and started chewing on the side.

She started fiddling with the ring on her finger. Twisting it back and forth. "You probably want this back." She said, barely above a whisper. She couldn't look at him as she said it. She couldn't meet his gaze.

He looked over at her and saw her fiddling with the ring. His stomach dropped again and he felt like he was going to throw up. "Carol…don't." He managed, his voice quivery and a tears of his own forming.

"You can't possibly still want to marry me after this…..to be with me…I'm having someone else's child Daryl….I can't ask you to deal with that burden." She still couldn't look up at him and meet his gaze as she said it.

He took a deep breath. "This baby don't change how I feel about you."

"And it doesn't change how I feel about you." She could feel his eyes on her. She forced herself to meet them and she placed a hand on his face. "But it's not fair to you."

"And it ain't fair to you." He snapped. "Nothing about this damn situation is fair…it fucking sucks. But I don't wanna lose you…I still wanna marry you."

"It's not gonna be just me." She pointed out.

He sighed. "I know that. We'll deal with it."

"Daryl…"

"Tell me you don't still love me…tell me you don't wanna marry me…if you say it and mean it, I'll go."

She couldn't say it. Part of her wanted to. To tell him and let him off the hook from a responsibility that wasn't his. But she couldn't because she did love him more than anything is this world. She did still wanna marry him…in fact she felt like she needed him now more than ever, but she didn't wanna tell him that because she knew if she told him that he'd feel like he had to stay for her.

"I thought so." He told her. He grabbed her by the arm and pulling her into his lap. Her head fell against his chest and he gently kissed her forehead. "It's gonna be alright….I'm gonna be here for you."


	42. Chapter 42

He'd stayed on the floor, holding her in his lap for what felt like forever. Both of them remaining silent. He didn't know what to say, he didn't know what to do. A large part of him had wanted to run away. To get the fuck out of that room as fast as possible and not deal with any of this. It was a lot to take in. It would have been a lot to take in even if the baby was his. He wasn't ready to have a child. He wasn't even sure he ever wanted children of his own. He'd always been plagued by thoughts of ending up like his old man if he ever became a father. That's why he made damn sure he never had sex without a condom. His own dad fucked him up enough and he didn't want to continue the tradition and fuck up a kid of his own.

But now, well now his fiancé was pregnant with another man's kid. A man he hated with a passion, yet he didn't even have the slightest clue as to what this man looked like. And knowing she was carrying his child, knowing this baby was going to be part her and part of this asshole was ripping him apart. But he also saw that it was ripping her apart. He saw the pain in her eyes, he heard the hurt in her voice. He could tell it hurt her to tell him, that it hurt her to be the one living it. She hadn't wanted this. She hadn't planned it. She hadn't known. She was scared. She was scared of having a child. She was scared of raising the child alone. She was scared of losing Daryl. He could tell, even if she hadn't said it out loud, he could see it in her eyes. And when she went to take that ring off and give it back to him, he knew that despite the fact that this was going to be one the hardest things he had to do, that his heart would break a little every step of the way, he still didn't want to lose her. That he still wanted to be with her and one day he still wanted to marry her. The baby didn't change that he loved her. It didn't change who she was to him.

And if he did the easy thing, if he walked away right now and let her give him that ring back, he'd still want her. They'd still share the same friends, they'd still live in the same town. He'd run into her and this kid, and with his luck he'd run into her all the damn time. He couldn't watch her life from the sidelines. He couldn't watch her eventually end up with some other guy again. He couldn't let her go, not again. He'd promised that he'd never leave her again. He'd promised that this was it this time. That they were going to be together forever. So, as stupid and ridiculous as it may sound, as hard as this was going to be, he decided that he still wanted this. He still wanted them.

"I'm gonna go smoke." He finally said, slowly removing his arms from the tight grip he'd held around her.

She looked up at him and nodded. "I'm just gonna stay in here. I don't want anyone to know I've been crying. I don't wanna talk to anyone else about this right now." She slipped out of his lap and moved onto the bed.

"Yeah." He nodded back in agreeance and stood up, quietly slipping out of the door. He made his way through the living room. Fishing his lighter and pack of cigarettes out his pocket with shaky hands. He'd been looking down, but when he exited the hallway and entered the living room he could feel all eyes trained on him. He looked over at Glenn, who looked as if he was about to say something, but Daryl stopped him before he could. "Do me a favor and mind your own fucking business right now. All of ya'll." He growled, as he continued walking.

Everyone in the room watched him walk into the kitchen and they assumed he was heading for the back porch. They all looked to one another again, trading glances, unsure of what to do.

"I'm gonna go talk to my little brother." Merle announced quietly.

"I'm gonna go check on Carol." Rick sighed and headed for the guestroom. Lori followed suit behind him.

()()()

Rick gave a few quiet knocks on the door, but she either didn't hear him or chose to ignore him. He turned the knob and since the door was unlocked he just went ahead and opened it. He saw her laying down at the end of the bed. Her feet resting on the ground, one arm covering her face, while one was resting on her abdomen. "You okay?" He gently asked

She didn't answer him. She didn't remove her arm from her face, but she did shake her head no.

Rick and Lori slowly walked over to the bed and took a seat on either side of her. They watched her closely. Unsure of what to say. They didn't know what was going on. They didn't know whose baby she was pregnant with or how far along she was. All they had heard was Daryl scream that she was pregnant with another man's kid.

Lori gently ran a comforting hand through Carol's hair. "How far along are you?" She cautiously asked.

Carol took a deep breath. She didn't wanna talk about this with anyone else right now. It had been hard enough to tell Daryl. She had hoped no one else heard, but with the way he'd yelled it out and how he'd thrown that vase she knew that had to be wishful thinking. "Three months." She mumbled out. "I didn't know. I swear I didn't know. I had my period, or what I thought was my period" She confessed, removing her hand from her face so her friends could meet her eyes. "I wouldn't have been drinking if I would have known. I wouldn't have gone to the fair. I wouldn't have put my baby in danger. I wouldn't have put Daryl in this position. I would have told him. I swear I would have."

Rick reached out and grabber her hand in his, giving it a tight squeeze. "I know you wouldn't have. And I'm sure the baby is fine. Don't go beating yourself up over this."

"Rick, my unborn child could have birth defects because of me." She snapped, hasher than she meant to. "I told my best friend, the man I love more than anything that I would marry him while I'm carrying someone else's child. He thought he was going to have everything he ever wanted. He thought this year was going to be perfect. That this was going to be the best year of his life….It's going to be the worst year of his life." She groaned.

"Hey." Rick told her softly. "You didn't know. It isn't your fault. The baby is gonna be fine, trust me." He assured her. "And I know Daryl. I've known both of you for a long time. Longer than I've known anyone else. Even if you would have known, if you would have told him you were pregnant sooner, he would still love you."

"You don't know how bad this hurt him. You didn't see his face."

"What did he say?" Lori asked curiously.

"That he still wants to be with me. That he still wants to marry me. I tried to give him his ring back…It's not fair to him. He hates Ed. He hates him so much. What if this baby looks like him? It's gonna kill him if he has to see its face every day."

"He doesn't even know what he looks like." Lori pointed out.

She shook her head. "He has dark hair and brown eyes. He looks a hell of a lot different than me. He'll be able to tell. I'll be able to tell." She choked out. "I hate him too. I hate him for putting his hands on me. I hate him for doing this to me...to us." She pointed towards her stomach. "I wasn't ready for kids. Not yet. I'd be freaking out if this baby was Daryl's. I took my birth control like I was supposed to. I don't know how this happened. I didn't mean for it to happen. How am I supposed to look at my child and see him in it and not get mad? "How is Daryl? What kind of mother does that make me to think that?" She said, tears threatening to roll down her cheeks once more.

"You're just scared." Lori said softly. "I know you, you love kids. You've always loved kids and you're good with them. You're going to be a wonderful mom and we're all here for you. It's going to be hard, but it's going to be okay. And if Daryl said he'd be here too then he will. It's all going to be okay."

She knew Lori and Rick were trying to be helpful. She knew that they were only saying all of this out of love and that they meant what they were saying, but they had no idea how hard all of this was on her. How much it hurt her. How much it hurt Daryl. How much she hated the thought of her child not having a father. She'd had a good relationship with both of her parents. She wouldn't have known what to do without her dad. He taught her how to ride a bike. He taught her how to take care of herself. He was always there for her. Her child would never know its father and it was all her fault.

()()()

"Hey little brother." Merle said quietly, as he stepped out onto the screened in back porch where Daryl was having a cigarette.

Daryl looked up and narrowed his eyes on Merle. "Hell no. Not you. Not right now. Get the fuck on somewhere." He snapped.

"I just wanna talk." He tried to reason.

"I ain't in the mood for one of your talks right now." He hissed. "Your hard ass life is tough shit ain't what I need to hear. I can't deal with that shit right now. I swear to God, I'll punch you square in the jaw and imagine you're that sorry son bitch while I do it."

Merle threw his hands up in surrender and stared walking towards his little brother. "Come here." He said, extending his arms and pulling him for a hug once he reached him.

Daryl tensed up at first when he felt his older brother's arms wrap around him. They didn't hug often. They just didn't do that. They loved each other, they'd do anything for each other, but they hadn't been raised to show affection to one another. He finally felt the seriousness and the weight of everything going on cave into him and he gripped his brother back tightly.

"Whose baby is it?" Merle asked, still keeping a tight hold on his younger brother.

"That fucking bastard's." He growled.

Merle raised an eyebrow. "She slept with him again?" He growled back. How could she do that to you? Did it happen after you came back home from Savannah?"

Daryl let go his brother suddenly and jumped back. "No asshole." He glared. "She's three months. It happened before she left him."

"How the hell could she not tell you before now?" Merle snapped.

"She didn't' fucking know, alright."

"How the hell does a woman not know she's pregnant?"

"She had her period. Or something like it I guess. She never got sick. Fuck I don't know." Daryl barked, running his hands through his hair. "She went to get on the pill and they did a pregnancy test first. She's upset too. She's scared and it hurt her like hell to tell me. She didn't plan the shit."

Merle shook his head. "I'm sorry things didn't work out." He mumbled. "I know you wanted them to. I know you wanted to marry her."

Daryl took a deep breath, he knew Merle wouldn't understand this. He knew it may lead to a fight between them, but he was fully prepared for that. In fact, he'd probably feel a hell of a lot better if he could take his frustrations out on something. "I'm not leaving her." He said, resolutely.

Merle shot his eyes at his brother. "It ain't your kid. It ain't your responsibility."

"No shit, it ain't mine. But she is. I ain't running away. I ain't leaving her alone. I told her I wanted to marry her and I meant it. The baby don't change that."

Merle scoffed. "So you're just gonna play daddy to some other guy's kid? You think you're gonna be able to look at that kid and not get pissed off every single time you see it. You think you're gonna be able to love that kid and treat it right?"

"I ain't leaving her. We're gonna figure this out together. Me and her. And I never said I was gonna be its daddy. But I'm gonna be there for her. I'm gonna help her."

"And what? Ignore the baby? Pretend it don't exist? Like that's any better than putting your hands on it. That'll fuck the damn kid up too. I'm here for you and I don't ever say this shit, but I love you. I do. But you don't know what the hell you're getting yourself into, little brother."

"You're right. I don't know what the hell I'm doing." He shouted. "And this whole thing, it scares the hell out me. But I ain't leaving her. I can't. It's gonna be the hardest fucking thing I ever did and I have no clue what I'm gonna feel when I see this baby, but I ain't losing her again. I'll deal with it. We'll deal with it."


	43. Chapter 43

**Thanks for reading and reviewing! I was worried that the arc wouldn't be well received and almost decided not to use it. In the end, I felt that there were so many things I could explore with it and wanted to give it a shot. Keep reading and reviewing and I hope you enjoy. This chapter has been hard to formulate, but I have many ideas of plots I want to touch on from here. And on a happy note: 5 more days until TWD returns. Or, um, what I'm hoping is a happy note. This season still has me on edge!)**

He didn't give Merle a chance to respond. He stomped his cigarette out and bolted for screen door. He let it slam shut on his way back into the house. He wanted to avoid talking to any of the others on his way back to the guest room. He'd just kept his eyes trained on the floor as he walked, refusing to look up and meet anyone's gaze. Though he could feel all eyes trained on him as he walked. He couldn't deal with their questions right now. He couldn't deal with anyone else reacting the same way Merle had. Someone else trying to tell him he had no business staying with her and basically telling him he wouldn't be able to handle it.

He'd felt a tender hand touch his shoulder as he maneuvered himself back through the living room and he forced his eyes up slightly to see whose hand it was. It was Andrea's and when he allowed himself to briefly meet her gaze he saw her mouthe out I'm sorry. He saw the look of sympathy her eyes carried and he face was slightly contorted. He took in a deep breath and offered a small nod, but continued his pace towards the guest room. He'd noticed a solo cup sitting on the coffee table. It was half some type of soda and half some kind of dark liquor. He swiftly brought the cup to his lips and downed it all in one gulp. He was hoping to regain a little bit of a buzz. To numb himself from everything he was feeling right now.

He slowly let his head hit the door before twisting the knob and entering. Once inside he immediately noticed Lori and Rick were in there. Lori was leaned against the headboard, she had Carol curled up beside her with her head resting on her chest and her arms securely wrapped around her waist. Rick was on the other side of Carol holding her hand. All three sets of eyes darted to him once he stepped foot in the room. He couldn't help but see the uncertainty etched in Carol's as she watched him. It was a look he'd seen her wear that morning after he'd stayed at her house after she'd first moved in and her mom had caught them making out the night before. He'd gone to pee and when she woke up she must have thought he was gone, because when he came back in her room he saw her scrunched up on the bed, with the same exact look in her eyes she wore now. He stepped toward the bed and took a seat beside Rick. He extended his hand out to her. "Come here." He said, quietly.

She didn't hesitate once he held his hand out to her. She linked her hand with his and practically lunged out of Lori's arms and back into his lap. She gripped her arms around his neck tightly and buried her head against his neck. "Can we go home?" She muttered.

"You okay to drive? He asked cautiously. He was worried she was still too upset to be on the road and he knew he didn't need to be driving right now. He'd had a good bit of beer earlier and although her news had an extremely sobering affect, he didn't think it was wise, plus he'd just downed that mixed drink on the way back in here.

She nodded. "I just wanna go home. I can't rehash this story to anyone else tonight. I just wanna get in my bed."

He nodded back, completely understanding her need to get the hell away from everyone else right now. He was about to stand up when he saw Rick and Lori make their way towards them. Lori bent down and hugged Carol first, then wrapped her arms around Daryl as well. Rick mimicked her movements, starting with Carol and then moving to him.

When Rick linked his arms around Daryl's neck he moved his mouth beside his ear and whispered to him. "It know this is hard right now, I know it sucks, but it's all gonna be alright, brother. I'm here for you. All three of you."

()()()

When they'd gone home that night she had been worried she wouldn't be able to fall asleep. In fact, ever since she'd found out about the baby earlier that day she'd been worried she might not sleep again for a long time. But she'd also been scared that they'd be over once she told him. She wouldn't have blamed him if he did walk away. It would have hurt, it would have ripped her heart out, but she'd have understood if he couldn't have dealt with it. Hell, she was worried about her own ability to deal with all of this and it was her baby. But he said he still wanted to be with her, he said they'd deal with it. So, when they got home that night, she climbed in her bed and he climbed in right behind her. She rested her head on his chest, just like she'd done every night since they officially got together and before she knew it, she'd drifted off to sleep.

He'd stayed with her through the weekend. They'd gone back to his place that afternoon and he'd gotten several days-worth of clothes to take back to her place and picked up his bike. Merle hadn't been there when they stopped by, but she knew that something was going on between them and she knew that something had to do with her and the baby. Daryl wouldn't tell her exactly what it was, he'd just said Merle was being a prick and he wasn't talking to him right now. That made her feel even more guilty for all of this because she felt like she was driving a wedge between them and she knew how close they were. This whole situation was going to prove to be messy all the way around. She feared telling her parents. She feared to know what everyone else in her life was going to say. She feared the word around town. How bad it was going to look that she was engaged to Daryl, yet pregnant with another man's child. And a large part of her feared that somehow, by some fucked up way that Ed would find out. If he did, if he somehow found out about this, she knew he'd come for the baby. And it would be a cold day in hell before she ever let him around her child. She didn't care if he helped make it, he lost any right to that baby the day he put his hands on her.

She' had to work Sunday, which she was almost grateful for. Even though Daryl was staying with her, he'd been so quiet all day yesterday. Hell, she had been too. They were both processing this and they were both somewhat shutting down about it on some level. She knew that they couldn't stay like this, but it was still so fresh, so raw. When she got home Sunday night she'd asked him if he'd talked to his brother yet. He'd simply told her no and that he wasn't going to either. She had no clue how the hell that was going to go when they had to work together tomorrow.

"Daryl, he's your brother. You've got to talk to him." She encouraged, as they lay in bed Sunday night.

"I ain't talking to him right now." He mumbled. "Son bitch pissed me off."

"Are you ever gonna tell me what he said?" She asked, shifting from her back to her side.

He shook his head. "Don't matter what he said."

She sighed. "I don't want you to cut your brother out because of me. He's your family."

"So are you." He replied, moving his hand over hers and running his fingers over the ring he'd given her. "Look, I ain't cutting him out. I'm just pissed at him. I'll get over it." He muttered.

She nodded and folder her hands over her belly. It was strange how much she noticed it now. She'd known she'd gained a few pounds before, but she'd hardly paid attention to it. Now it was almost all she could see. She looked up blankly stared at the ceiling, contemplating on whether or not she wanted to bring this up. They hadn't mentioned the baby again since she told him. "I've got a doctor's appointment tomorrow at 11." She finally mumbled. "They're gonna make sure everything's okay. They wanna make sure I'm healthy….it's healthy."

He looked over at her, but her eyes were fixed on the ceiling. He felt his stomach churn at the mention of the baby. He'd tried not to think about it the last two days. "Do you want me to go with you?" He asked, barely above a whisper.

"You don't have to. Not if you don't want to. I know you said you're going to be here for me. I know you said we're gonna figure this out, but I want you to know that I don't expect you to do the things you'd do if it was yours. I'm not going to expect you to be its father."

He brought his thumb up to his mouth and started chewing on the side the nail. He felt almost a sense of relief from her words. He hadn't asked her what she expected of him when it came to the baby. He wanted to be there for her. He didn't want her to have to be there alone. Especially if she found out something was actually wrong. But he wasn't sure he could face that right now either. "I'll see how things are at the shop. If we're busy I ain't gonna be able to get away."

()()()

She left for her appointment around 10:30 that morning. She'd wanted to get there a little early in case there was any type of paperwork she'd needed to fill out. She was nervous as hell. A large part of her wished she'd told Daryl that she wanted him to come. She knew if she had that he'd have been here, but she knew that this was hard on him and being here might be too much right now. She wished Maggie would have been off work so she could have come with her, but she'd gotten herself into this and she had to deal with it. She found a magazine on pregnancy and started thumbing through it while she waited. She let her eyes shift rom the clock to the entrance every few minutes. She was hoping Daryl would end up showing up. She knew if he was really busy it would be inconvenient to leave Merle alone just before lunch.

"Pelitier." She heard a nurse call back as the clock reached 11.

She swept her gaze from the entrance over to the door that led to the exam rooms where the nurse was standing. She placed her hand over her belly. "Guess it's just us." She sadly mumbled, as she got up and followed the nurse back. She did all of the same routine things like she had last time, checking her weight and blood pressure. She asked her a few questions before leaving her alone and telling her the doctor would be in shortly. She just sat at the end of the table, aimlessly swinging her legs back and forth as she felt her stomach knot up.

"Hey Carol." She heard a smiling Dr. Porter say as he entered the room. "How are you doing this morning?"

She shrugged and forced a very insincere smile.

He frowned a bit. "I know having that bun in your oven was a hell of a surprise and you're probably worried about today, but I did that quantitative blood test on Friday and it also checks for abnormalities. It didn't show any. We're gonna do an ultrasound today and it'll tell us more, but I gotta feeling your little one's just fine."

She just nodded and swung her legs back and forth some more. She could feel her hands starting to tremble.

"So, is the father joining us?" He asked, curiously as he started pulling up her file on his computer.

"Actually…" She began, but stopped when she heard the click of the door knob turning and watched as a nurse popped her head in, with a very nervous Daryl in tow behind her.

"Excuse me Dr. Porter," She said politely. "But Ms. Pelitier's fiancé just got here and he wanted to join her."

Her eyes met his and she felt a flood of relief sweep throughout her body. A small smile formed at the corner of her lips. It meant the world to her knowing he came. Knowing she wasn't facing this alone.

He nervously ran a hand through his hair as he stepped inside the room. The uterus models, the posters of developing babies, safe sex ads, and diagrams of different stages of std's were making him extremely uncomfortable. This room made him uncomfortable period. It was too bright and too white. When he woke up this morning he'd decided against going and they'd actually ended up being busy as hell at work, but he couldn't stop looking at that damn clock all morning and thinking about her being here alone.

"Nice to meet you." Dr. Porter said with a smile, extending his hand to Daryl. "I was just asking if you'd be joining us. "My name's Dr. Porter, but you can call me Eugene. I'll probably be seeing more of your fiancé's lady bits the next few months more than you will." He joked. "We may as well all get friendly.

Daryl didn't smile back, instead he narrowed his eyes on the doctor and scowled.

"Come on. I'm just trying to lighten to mood here." Eugene told him. "It makes things less awkward for me. This job isn't all it's cracked up to be. Especially when I have intimidating men like yourself staring me down like that. We're going to be pretty familiar with each other these next few months and I want us all to have a good relationship. I'm going to take good care of your fiancé and your unborn child."

Daryl swallowed hard and shifted his eyes to Carol. She shook her head to let him know that she hadn't said the baby was his, that the man just inferred it. He didn't see the point in speaking up and telling him it wasn't right now. He didn't know this man and he didn't wanna get into all of this. He gave the man a nod and walked over beside Carol. He took her hand in his and gave it a squeeze. "You alright?" He asked lowly.

"I am now." She replied, squeezing his hand back. "Thank you for coming."

()()()

The nurse had come back in and taken a blood sample and a urine sample. They ended up prepping her for an ultrasound. One that would check for certain abnormalities as well. The cold sting of the gel being spread across her belly and the slight pressure had her recoiling and Daryl shot a worried look as he sat beside her, holding her hand.

"I'm okay." She assured him. "It just feels weird."

He nodded, not saying anything back. He hadn't said much at all since he got there. He watched as they pulled out some type of wand thing and started moving it back and forth over her belly. He heard a swooshing sound and saw some images appear on the screen.

"There's your baby's heartbeat." Dr. Porter said, looking over at them both. "It sounds good and strong by the way."

Carol froze and she felt her own heart flutter. The realization that there was a tiny human being inside of her actually hitting her for the first time. Her tiny human being. Her son or daughter. She'd known she was pregnant, but the shock, the timing, the circumstances. All of those things had stopped her from letting this truly be real.

"And here is your baby." He gently said, pointing to the screen.

She brought her free hand up to her mouth. The one that Daryl wasn't holding. She could make out its perfectly formed features. She could see its head, arms, legs. An instinctive feeling ran through her. One that suddenly had her fully aware that she'd be someone's mother in six months. That this was going to be her child and she'd be responsible for its safety and well-being for the rest of its life. In that moment, she felt herself connect with her child, she felt a love for the child and for a brief moment she felt capable of raising this child, she felt somewhat excited about this pregnancy. She looked over at Daryl, halfway expecting him to have the same realization. Stupidly expecting that he'd be experiencing the same flood of emotions she was feeling, but instead she saw him chewing his bottom lip and shaking his leg. There was a realization in his eyes too. One that made her know this baby suddenly became very real for him too, and it suddenly became very real it wasn't his.


	44. Chapter 44

As he heard the sound of the heart beat and saw the image of the baby appear on that screen it finally hit him that this was really happening. That she really had a baby in there. A tiny person with a heartbeat, a person that already had arms and legs, fingers and toes. Before, it had been more of an idea, a concept. He could ignore it for the most part. Because he could pretend it wasn't really happening yet. He could block it out. Now, he couldn't. Now, he'd actually seen it. He'd heard its tiny little heart beating. He'd seen the black and white outline of its head and of its body.

He felt his stomach knot up again. It was almost like reliving the moment in the guest room a few nights ago. She was going to have a baby. She was going to have that prick's baby. In six months, it would be here. It would be with her. And it would be there pretty much all the time. He couldn't ignore it once it got here. There'd be no ignoring it. It would need to be fed, and changed, clothed and held….and loved. Loved. That word played over and over in his head again. This child would need to be loved. Its mother would need to love it. And he had no doubt she would. He knew her. He knew she was scared right now, but he knew she'd make a great mother. She was a born nurturer, even when they were kids. But it would also need to be loved by him, accepted by him. He wasn't sure he could do that. What if Merle was right? What if he hated this baby just because it was a part of Ed? What if he hated it because it screwed up the plan he had for how he thought his life should go? What if he ended up taking all of his resentments out about the baby on her?

He suddenly felt terrified. He didn't want to be that person. He didn't want to be that kind of man. But he was raised by that kind of man. He was created by that kind of man. He'd always had a temper, ever since he could remember, he'd been prone to easily getting pissed off. He'd slammed the vase when she'd told him she was pregnant. Whenever he was frustrated at the shop he'd throw tools and shit. He'd gotten into fights over her in high school. He felt confident he could kill Ed and not lose a minute's sleep over it. What if he had it in him to be mean to her? To be mean to her child? Would she be better off if he walked away now?

()()()

Andrea stepped through the door of Daryl and Merle's shop with a bag of fast food in hand. He'd asked her to bring something by and said he was going to have to work through lunch and wouldn't be able to get away to get something himself. She scanned the room looking for him, finally noticing him under an older jeep. "I'm here with your food." She called out.

He slid out from under the jeep and brushed his hands off before pushing himself up. "Thanks, darling." He told her as he extended his hands to take the food.

She scanned her eyes around the shop, noticing there were a lot of cars in it at the moment and there was no Daryl in sight. "Where's your brother?"

"Hell if I know." He grumbled. "Asshole up and left around 11 and said he'd be back later."

"And he didn't say where he was going?" She replied, raising her eyebrows.

"Nope. He ain't hardly said shit to me since Glenn and Maggie's." He reached in his bag and pulled out the burger she brought him and took a large bite.

She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at him. "What the hell did you say to him on the back porch?"

"Don't be getting that attitude with me little missy. All I did was tell him the truth. And he needed to hear it."

"What the hell did you say, Merle?" She spat back.

"That it ain't his damn baby and it ain't his responsibility. He ain't got no business sticking around. He ain't gonna be able to handle it. He ain't gonna be able to help her raise that kid. He wouldn't even be able to if it was his. He ain't got a damn bit of business thinking he's gonna be able to play daddy."

"How the hell do you know what he can or can't do?" She snapped. "If he wants to stay with her through this then who the hell are you to tell him he shouldn't? He loves her and she loves him and if they wanna stay together then you don't need to get in the way of that."

"I'm his damn brother. That's who! And I know what he can and can't do a hell of a lot better than you. He ain't fucking capable or raising no kid, especially one that ain't his. Don't sit here and pretend you know what life was like for us growing up. Don't fucking pretend you know what kinda shit he went through. What our old man was like." He'd become so agitated he'd thrown the burger she brought him clear across the room.

"I didn't live it, but saw I what your dad did to him. I know after you left for the army it would get so bad that some nights he'd run to Carol's and climb through her window. I know she'd take care of him every single time your dad laid a hand on him. I know she made sure he had food to eat when your dad went off on a bender with some bar whore and left him by himself for days. I know that she got her parents to take him to get his driver's license because your dad wouldn't take the time to do it. I know she'd buy him birthday cakes and take them to him every single damn year because that sorry piece of shit that raised you didn't. I know that she loves him a way that no one else ever will. He feels the same damn way about her or he wouldn't even think about staying with her through this."

He shook his head and sighed. "And so what if he does love her? What the fuck does that matter? It ain't gonna matter a damn bit when he ends up resenting the hell out of this kid. I'm trying to look out for him, I'm trying to look out for her and I'm trying to look out for this damn baby."

"Hasn't it crossed your mind that he's terrified he's going to feel that way? That he's scared to death he's gonna end up like your dad or worse? That he's going to be just like him and take all of his anger and frustration out on this baby?"

"Good. I hope it fucking has. He needs to realize that shit sooner rather than later."

"He's not your father." She snapped again. "And neither are you." She emphasized, before she started storming off. One she reached the door she turned around to face him. "Don't call me again until you get your head out of your ass and start being there for your brother. You don't have to understand why he wants to stay. You don't have to think it's the right thing to do. But be a good brother, support him, be there for him. And if you can't do that, then go fuck yourself."

()()()

The doctor had pretty much confirmed his earlier words after the ultrasound. Everything with the baby seemed to be fine. The heart beat was strong. The measurements were normal. The weight was normal. And she felt so relieved to hear that. To know that she hadn't done anything to harm the unborn child, despite the things she'd done before she'd found out she was pregnant. The doctor said she was healthy too, and predicted she'd have a normal pregnancy. If this was Daryl's baby, she'd have walked away from that appointment happy. She'd have walked away thinking that she could take this on and that it would be okay and she'd have been excited, like she was for a brief moment back in that room. But this wasn't Daryl's baby. Even though she had formed a bond with this child once she saw it, even though she now had a love for this child, the thought of how much it was going to change her life was still terrifying her. The look in his eyes in that exam room was so broken, so empty, so hollow. She'd seen him hurt a lot during their friendship, but she'd only seen that look in his eyes once before.

 _***Flashback***_

 _It was early June. They'd just gotten out of school for summer back in May and Daryl had bought himself a car back in April after he'd turned sixteen. She'd been taking advantage of the fact that he had a car and she didn't and she'd been making him take her everywhere. She was ready to get her own car, but she wouldn't be sixteen until July and she still had to wait. She'd walked to his house this morning, planning on begging him to take her to the mall. She'd heard about a sale at one of her favorite stores that was going out of business and she had saved up a good bit of babysitting money. He wasn't planning on her stopping by, but it was early and she doubted he'd be anywhere else. Turns out she was right, because his car was parked on the side of his house. She jogged up the porch steps and swiftly knocked on the door. It took a few minutes, but he finally opened it. He was still in his pajamas and he had on a tank top. His hair was sticking up everywhere and she assumed she'd woken him up. She offered him an apologetic smile. "I didn't mean to wake you up, but I need a favor."_

 _He looked at her and looked down. "You didn't wake me up. I was just laying around watching TV." He said, quietly._

" _Everything okay?" She asked, raising her eyebrows and shooting him a worried look._

" _Mhm."_

" _Are you sure?"_

" _Said I'm fine." He mumbled. "What'd you need?"_

 _She didn't believe him. There was a certain sadness to his eyes, but she could tell he didn't wanna talk about it right now. "I was gonna ask you to take me to the mall. There's a big going out of business sale at my favorite store. I don't wanna miss out on it. I'll give you gas money and I'll buy you lunch if you take me."_

" _I really don't wanna go anywhere today." He groaned._

" _Please?" She begged. Shooting him the biggest puppy dog eyes ever. "Whatever is bothering you, you'll feel better if you get out of the house a while."_

 _He looked over at the wall and then back to her and sighed. "You owe me. Let me go get changed. You're driving though."_

" _Daryl, I don't have my actual license." She protested folding her hands over her chest._

 _I'll be in there. I taught you how to drive a stick. It'll be fine. I don't feel like driving right now, Carol. Take it or leave it."_

" _Alright." She mumbled, stepping in the house behind him so he could get changed._

 _She' driven to the mall herself. Every single time they passed a cop she'd been petrified they were going to pull her over and bust her. Daryl had been quiet the whole way there. He had the passenger seat laid back and he'd kept his hand over his face for most of the ride. When they got to the mall he'd quietly followed her around the store she'd wanted to go to so damn bad. They'd eventually hit some stores up he liked too and he'd bought himself a few things. They grabbed lunch in the food court and then on the way home he'd made her stop by Bass Pro for him. He seemed to be in a somewhat better mood as the day progressed and had even smiled when she'd bought herself dip n dots and he snatched them away from her taking a big spoonful. On the ride home he got extremely quiet again. They passed a semi, one that was carrying a load of cars, all of them mustangs. He kept his eyes trained on the path of the truck long after it was disappearing from view. She looked over at him. His eyes were glassy and he had a far off look in his eyes. One that told her he was deep in thought._

" _It felt like a dream." He blurted out, seemingly out of nowhere._

 _She took her eyes off the road briefly and looked back over at him curiously. Before she could ask what he meant he started talking again._

" _It was like I was watching everything in slow motion. I could see the dust flying, I could see the glass breaking, I could see the grass each time the car flipped over. When it stopped, I looked over and she wasn't there. She wasn't beside me anymore. I felt blood rushing down my face. I could hear these sirens, they were getting closer and closer, I could see the lights coming. I didn't care about that though. I snatched my seat belt off and I went looking for her." He paused for a moment and gathered his thoughts. "I finally found her. She was in a ditch. I remember screaming for her. The more I screamed the farther away my voice sounded. Kind of like it does in cartoons and shit. I went to run to her, but somebody grabbed me. I don't even know who the fuck it was, but they grabbed me. I was kicking and screaming. That's all I remember. Everything else after went black. Next thing I know I'm at the hospital and they're stitching my head up. I kept asking about her, but wouldn't nobody tell me shit. Next thing I know when they take me out in the lobby and my old man's out there screaming and crying and losing his shit. Merle's crying. I knew then. Nobody had to tell me, I just knew. She was gone. She was just gone." His voice was cracking and he was trying to fight back tears. He wouldn't look over at her. He kept his head against the window of the car, almost if he was still watching that truck that had gone by._

 _She knew he was talking about the day his mom died. She knew that she died in a car accident a few months before she met him. She knew he had been in there with her. But in the almost eight years she'd know him, he never talked about that day. He rarely talked about his mom. It was something you didn't bring up in front of him. She reached out and grabbed his hand in hers. Not sure of what to say. Not sure there was anything she could say._

 _He briefly looked down at her hand and his eyes darted back to the window. "Merle and my dad went hunting." He continued. "I wanted to go with her. She went to see her brother. My dad didn't want her to. He told her not to. Her car was fucked up and she was driving a rental. A mustang. They fought about it, but she'd gone anyway because he'd had surgery a few days before. Fuck, they fought all the damn time anyway." He mumbled. "I got pissed at her on the way home. She made me put my damn seat belt on and I didn't want to. She wasn't wearing hers… went through the damn windshield." He sighed and took a deep breath. "I called her a bitch under my breath. That's the last fucking thing I ever said to her._

" _Daryl, you didn't know that was gonna happen. She knew you loved her. She told him, softly._

 _He just shook his head. "It's been eight years today. Eight fucking years. Sometimes I can't even remember what she sounds like." He choked out. "He wouldn't be like this if that didn't happen. He wasn't like this before. I mean, he was a dick. They fought a lot. But he never put his damn hands on me before. Not ever. He fucking hates me. I swear he hates me. He hates me because I look like her. Because I remind him of her."_

 _He looked up and let his eyes meet hers. She didn't see an almost grown man beside her. She didn't see her sixteen year old best friend. She saw a lost little boy. One who missed his mama, one who got dealt a shitty hand in life, one she thought was pretty amazing despite everything he'd been through. He looked empty right now, broken, hollow. "I'm sure your mom loved you a lot." She told him, tenderly. "I know she'd be proud of you and she must have been a pretty amazing person, because you sure as hell are. And you damn sure didn't get that from your asshole father. Don't ever think he has a right to treat you how he does because he was hurt when he lost your mom. Don't ever think that, not for one second."_

 _***End of flashback***_

The two walked in silence to the parking lot. He'd kept his eyes downcast as he walked. She finally reached out and grabbed his hand to stop him. "Are you okay?" She studied him carefully, watching every movement he made.

"Mhm." He mumbled, not bothering to meet her gaze. They continued walking and he sighed and finally looked over to her. "Are you gonna be mad at me if I don't go home with you tonight?"

She froze, panic rising deep in her chest. "I'm not going to be mad." She told him carefully. Because she wasn't. She was just going to worry like hell.

"I just…..I need to be alone tonight. I just need to clear my head." He confessed.

She bit her lower lip and nodded. "I understand." She forced out.

It hurt him to tell her that. It hurt him to know he wasn't going to be there if she needed him tonight, but he just needed some time alone. He was going to text Andrea and tell her to invite Merle to her place, because he damn sure couldn't deal with sharing the house with him tonight either. He pulled her into a hug and held onto her tightly as they approached his bike. "I love you."

"Yeah, I love you too." She replied, wrapping her arms back around him as tightly as she could.


	45. Chapter 45

**(I agree, this arc is heart wrenching! It gets heart wrenching for me to write and I have to be in a certain mood to formulate it. Anyway, thanks to everyone who is reading and to those reviewing. Here's the next one.)**

After Daryl left to go back to the shop she'd sent Maggie a message to see if she was on lunch. Carol was off work all day and she wasn't in a hurry to just go back home. Especially since she knew Daryl would be going back to his place after work. Luckily for her, Maggie was clocking out in in ten minutes and the two were going to grab lunch at the cafeteria. Carol went ahead and started making her way over there since she didn't have anything else to do. She got a tray and took a seat while she waited for Maggie to arrive.

When Maggie entered the cafeteria she saw Carol sitting alone, pushing some peas back and forth on her plate. She had her head propped up with one hand and there was a far off look in her eyes. She walked towards table and took a seat in front of her, offering her a comforting smile. "How'd your appointment go?" Maggie asked, reaching a hand out a giving Carol's free hand a squeeze.

A look of relief washed over her face for a moment and a small smile curled at the edge of her lips. She removed the hand that she was using to prop her face up and forced herself to sit up straight. "The baby's healthy. I got to see it. I heard the heartbeat. I saw its tiny little arms and legs."

"I'm glad the baby is okay." She smiled again. "I can't believe you're going to be a mom."

She shook her head and sighed. "You and me both. It didn't feel real. Not really. Not until I saw it on the screen. I was scared….scared that I would be angry at my child, that I wouldn't love it the way I should because it's Ed's. When I saw it though, it just, it just hit me. This is my baby. My son or daughter. It doesn't matter who the father is. This baby is a part of me." Carol reached over into her purse and pulled out pictures from the sonogram that the doctor had given her. She paused to look at them before handing them over the Maggie.

Maggie took the pictures from her. Staring intently, almost in awe, of the unborn child pictured in them. "Look at these. Oh my God. Look at those little fingers." She gushed. "I'm gonne be an aunt. This is going to be my little niece or nephew."

"You're already an aunt." She pointed out. Glenn's sister has a kid and she's having another one."

"Yeah, but they live far away and I don't get to see them much. I'm gonna be right here to watch this one grow up. This baby is going to have so many people around him or her that will love it so much."

She knew Maggie meant it to reaffirm that everything was going to be okay, but the words couldn't help but make her think of how upset Daryl had been earlier. Of how he was so upset he wasn't going to be able to come back to her place tonight. She didn't see this getting any easier for him. In fact, she knew it was only going to get harder. Her face fell and a frown formed. "I don't think Daryl will." She said, sadly.

Maggie felt her own face fall and her heart dropped a little for her friend. Well, for both of her friends honestly. Because this wasn't Daryl's fault and she couldn't imagine how it made him feel. If Glenn was having a child with another woman it would tear her apart. "Did something happen?"

"He went to the appointment with me. He got there a little late, but he went. I shouldn't have asked him to go, but I really did want him there. It was selfish. I wasn't thinking of how it would make him feel. When he saw the baby, when he really saw it, I think it became just as real for him as it did me. If you would have seen his face, seen how hurt he looked when he saw it. It kills me knowing how bad this is hurting him. It kills me knowing I'm the reason he is hurting. And it kills me because for a split second, I was actually happy about this in that room. Well, not happy, but I felt excited, I felt capable, I felt like this baby wasn't going to be a bad thing."

"It's not a bad thing." She said, firmly. "It's okay for you to be excited. It's okay for you to be happy. This is your baby. Your first child. No one is going to fault you for loving your child, no one." She emphasized. "I know this is hard for him, I know he's hurting, but at the end of the day he still loves you and he still wants to be with you. Like you said, this baby is a part of you. Eventually he's going to see it as your baby, not Ed's baby, and when he does he'll love it too."

()()()

He'd mostly ignored Merle once they got back to work again. Only talking to him when he'd needed to know something about what they were working on. To his surprise, his brother had been extremely quiet the rest of the day. He hadn't even demanded to know where he'd gone earlier. He wondered what the hell happened to make him shut the fuck up.

He'd texted Andrea and asked her to invite Merle over tonight, even though his brother was being quiet, he didn't wanna share the house with him tonight. He didn't feel like being around anyone, especially not him if he went off on another damn tangent. Unfortunately, Andrea told him she wasn't talking to Merle right now and that she didn't want him over. He didn't find it that surprising that Merle had done something to get that type of reaction from her. In fact, he was surprised he hadn't done something sooner to screw this up.

"You going home tonight?" Merle asked him, as they went to close up the shop.

He just nodded. Not offering him a word.

Merle rolled his eyes. "You just not gonna talk to me the rest of your damn life then?"

He shrugged and kept walking past him.

"You're acting like a big damn baby. You know that?" He growled.

The word baby sent a chill down his spine and he felt his blood run cold. "I can't deal with your bull shit right now." He growled back at him. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his pack of cigarettes and darted off towards his bike.

Merle watched as he pulled the cigarettes out and noticed as something fell out of his pocket and floated to the ground. His brother stomped off so fast he didn't notice it. Merle walked towards it and picked it up. It turns out it was pictures from a sonogram. He eyed it carefully, continually looking back between the picture and his brother's retreating figure. He sighed heavily and shoved the picture in his own pocket.

()()()

Carol heard a knock at her door. She looked over at the clock and noticed it was about the time Daryl usually got off work. She found herself hoping he'd come back to her place tonight. When she opened the door she was unpleasantly surprised to see Merle standing behind it. She scowled and went to shut the door, but he caught it with his hand stopping her.

"I guess my brother told you about the little talk I had with him then." He said, shamefully.

"No, he wouldn't tell me what you said. Whatever the hell it was had to be pretty bad if he hasn't talked to you since and I'm not going to sit here and listen to you while you try and say the same shit to me." She gave the door a hard shove, but it was no use. It wouldn't budge.

"I just wanna talk to you." He replied, softly.

He had a look in his eyes, one that bore remorsefulness and almost a look of pity. "Five minutes." She mumbled, as she pulled her phone out of her pocket. "But if you say one thing out of line, I'm calling your brother and letting him know you're here giving me shit."

He nodded and stepped inside. He ran a hand over the top of his head as he watched her looking at him expectantly, her arms crossed over chest. "I called it when he asked you to marry him. I said you were knocked up. I knew that little pudge right there was a baby bump." He said, poking her belly softly.

She scowled again and slapped his hand away then went to open the door to let him out.

He grabbed her arm gently to stop her. "I'm just fucking with you, darling."

"What do want Merle?" She sighed.

He pulled the sonogram picture out of the back of his pocket. "Daryl dropped this when he pulled his cigarettes out when he went to leave."

She want to grab the picture from him, but he pulled it back. "The doctor gave it to him." She mumbled. "He thinks it's his baby because he knows we're engaged."

Merle nodded and looked down at the picture again. "You're having a baby." He said, quietly as he thumbed the picutes.

"No shit." She deadpanned. "Again, Merle. Why are you here?"

He took a deep breath and met her eyes. "You know, it sucked growing up without our mama. It sucked growing up with our piece of shit daddy. I'd have killed to have someone be there for me the same way you was there for my brother….When I was in juvie, when I went to the army…you was there for him. He needed you and you were there. You didn't have to be. You were just a kid too and you didn't have to deal with all that shit."

"He was my best friend. Of course I was there."

He nodded again. "And you loved him. You've loved him ever since I can damn remember and he's loved you."

"Yeah." She replied, barely above a whisper.

"I said some shit when I found out you was pregnant with another man's kid. Shit I probably shouldn't have said." He admitted. "And it ain't cause I don't like you. I love you to death damn it." He paused and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I just, I know how hard this is gonna be on my brother. Our old man fucked us up. Fucked us both up so bad neither of us never even wanted our own damn kids. I can't imagine raising some other man's kid. If that son bitch could hate us that bad and we're a part of him." He paused again, feeling himself become extremely emotional. "I just. I thought it'd be too much on my brother. I want what's best for you. I want what's best for him." He looked down at the sonogram picture again. "I want what's best for your baby."

"I didn't mean for this to happen Merle. I didn't mean to get pregnant. I didn't mean to hurt him." She was becoming emotional herself. And you're right, this is too much. It's too much and it isn't fair to him."

Merle stepped closer to her and pulled her in for a hug. "I know you didn't. "He assured her, as he ran a and up and down her back. "And it's gonna be hard on him, hell it's gonna be hard on you, but it ain't too much. You've been there for him through some of the hardest shit of his life. Now it's just his turn. He's gonna be here for you…and the baby."

"How? How is he going to be able to be here? How can I expect him to love this child?" She choked out.

"Because, it's your baby." He simply said.


	46. Chapter 46

**(Oh, they are on a journey all right. And it's like a roller coaster! Oh yeah, less than 24 hours until TWD. Here's to hoping the season premiere is good!)**

Merle drove back to his place after leaving Carol's, fully anticipating on having a similar conversation with his brother that he did with her. Andrea's words earlier had hit him like a punch in the gut. He realized that he hadn't looked at this situation through his brother's eyes. He hadn't looked at the situation from Carol's perspective either. He'd only thought about how he'd react if he was in a similar situation. How he'd feel if Andrea told him he was pregnant with another man's child. He had a strange feeling deep in the pit of his stomach as that thought crossed his mind. He kept telling everyone that the two of them were just messing around. That they were nothing serious. Hell, he kept telling himself that. Now, he wasn't so sure. When she walked out of that shop today and told him not to call her again it had upset him. The thought of not seeing her any more fucking bothered him. It bothered him a lot. He'd actually grown to like being around her, and not just when they were screwing around either. He genuinely liked hanging around her. That thought scared him shitless. He'd never met a girl he actually liked before and he'd never planned on it either. It sure as hell wasn't his plan the night he first hooked up with her.

He didn't know exactly what to do with that realization either. He knew she wasn't the relationship type. Hell, she'd never really had a boyfriend. Not a real one. He knew that she and Shane used to screw around and hang out a lot, but he also knew they both screwed with other people back then too. He didn't think she'd been with anyone else since this whole thing with them started, though. He knew he hadn't, which was also unusual for him, but he hadn't had the urge to be with anyone else since being with her. This was all getting too complicated for him. He wasn't used to feeling shit. He decided to push it to the back of his mind for now and worry about it tomorrow. She said she wasn't going to talk to him until he made things right with Daryl anyway. He had to focus on that for tonight, then he'd deal with Andrea and whatever the hell it was that he was….feeling….tomorrow.

He walked up the stairs and entered their house and was completely shocked to find his baby brother sprawled out on the couch, with his feet propped up on the coffee table, drinking straight from a bottle of Jack. "What the hell are you doing?" Merle barked. It wasn't like Daryl to drink. He didn't do it often, especially not alone and damn sure not when he was going to have to work the next day.

"Getting drunk." He mumbled, bringing the bottle to his lips and turning it up.

Merle slammed the door behind him so hard that it shook the small house. "Put the damn bottle down."

He narrowed his eyes on his brother. "You get drunk all the fucking time for no damn reason. Leave me be." He slurred out.

Merle turned his head and sucked in a deep breath. He walked over to his brother and snatched the bottle from his hands. "Well you ain't me. So stop, damn it." He firmly told him.

Daryl jumped up getting in his brother's face and sloppily shoved him, but Merle shoved him back harder and he fell onto the couch. He was obviously unsteady from all the liquor he'd drank. "Fuck you." He slurred again. "Fuck that sorry ass son of a bitch that knocked her up. Fuck that weird ass mullet doctor who told her she was pregnant and keeps thinking I'm the daddy. Fuck my sorry ass piece of shit daddy. Fuck….everybody." He stammered out, slinging his arms.

Merle hung his head and ran a hand down his face. He felt a little bad. He felt partially to blame for this because of the way he acted about everything the last few days, but Daryl was a grown ass man. A grown ass man who's been bound and determined a few days ago to stay with Carol and support her. Now he was hiding away in his house and getting drunk. Merle knew this was hard on him. He knew he was hurting. And he made up his mind that he was going to support him through this. That he'd be here for him and Carol and the baby. But if his brother wanted this, if he was still going to marry her, if he was going to be this child's step dad, then he didn't think it was right for him to be sitting at home sulking and getting drunk. He thought he needed to man up and face this head on. He needed to be at her house talking to her about how all this shit made him feel instead of drinking it all away. He knew he had to approach this situation carefully due to his drunken state though. If his brother drank when he was upset, he could get mean as shit. It was just who he was. Merle was the same damn way. He carefully reached into his pocket and pulled out the sonogram picture Daryl dropped earlier. He held it out him. "This fell out your pocket earlier."

He looked up and immediately noticed what his brother was holding. He just shook his head. "I don't want it."

"Daryl…"

"I said I don't want it." He growled.

Merle sighed and walked over to the fridge. He grabbed a magnet and pinned the picture up.

Daryl eyed him carefully. "What the hell are you doing? It ain't my kid. You said it yourself. Why the hell are you putting it on our fridge?"

"You said it wasn't, but she was." He pointed out. "It's her baby, little brother. It's inside of her right now and whether you want it or not, it's coming. You don't get her without it. It ain't gonna work that way."

He brought his thumb up to his mouth and started chewing the side of it. "Why the hell do you care?" He mumbled. "You said it ain't gonna work. You said I couldn't do this. And you're right. I can't…..I'll end up just like him." He choked out.

"You ain't him, damn it. I ain't him." He hissed.

Daryl looked at his older brother, nothing but confusion etched across his face. "What the fuck are you talking about? Where the fuck was all this shit the other night?"

He sighed. "I said what I said because, well for one I was drunk and that shit blind-sided the hell out of me. But for two, I said it because I'm an idiot." He admitted, lowly. "Because that mother fucker screwed us both up so damn bad that the thought of having a child makes my damn skin crawl because all I can think of is 1,000 ways I'd fuck it up."

"It ain't my kid."

"It don't fucking matter." He groaned. "What are you gonna do? Leave? We both know how that's gonna end. You're gonna pine over her and act depressed as hell. You'll sit there and watch her life from the outside and ask Rick, and whoever else you can get to tell you, how the hell she is all the damn time. You said if you ever had another chance you wouldn't leave her again. You asked her to fucking marry you."

"When I asked her that I didn't know she was carrying another man's child." He snapped, as he rubbed his temples and squinted his eyes. The room all of a sudden felt like it was spinning.

"It didn't matter to you when she first told you. Why's it matter now?"

"It did matter. It hurt like hell. But the thought of losing her hurt more."

"And now it doesn't?"

"It does….but the thought of hurting her….of hurting her child…..I can't do that." He shook his head and looked down.

"You ain't gonna lay a damn hand on her or that baby. You oughta know that. It ain't you, damn it. I shouldn't have said what I said. Stop whining, stop drinking, and man the fuck up and do what you told her you was gonna do and be there for her. She fucking needs you and she's scared to death that you're freaking out and don't wanna be with her."

His eyebrows crinkled up. "How do you know that?"

"Because I stopped by to see her after work."

He tried to shoot up from his seat, but swayed and fell back. "What the hell did you say to her?" He demanded.

"I told her I was wrong for all the shit I told you. Just like I'm trying to tell you. I told her you loved her and that you'd be there for her. And you're going to. You ain't running away cause you're scared."

He grew silent. "Take me to her house." He finally slurred out.

"Uh uh. You ain't going over there drunk. You can go tomorrow after work."

"I wanna see her, damn it."

"People in hell want slurpies." Merle mumbled. "You ain't going over there like this."

()()()

He'd passed out not long after his conversation with Merle last night, although it was barely past eight. He'd downed a lot of that Jack before Merle had gotten home. Probably almost half the bottle in less than an hour and a half. When he woke up at five the next morning he found himself still on the couch, with a thin blanket draped over him. He had the overwhelming urge to vomit and darted for the front door. He hurled several times off the deck, until the only thing he had left in him was bile and he was dry heaving. He felt his head pounding and he let out a huge groan as he leaned over the railing. Drinking that much hadn't been smart. It hadn't been smart at all. He was going to feel like shit the rest of the day and he knew work was going to be hell. It was going to be pure hell.

He stumbled inside, still feeling some effects of the alcohol from last night. He went to the sink and poured a small glass of water for himself and rinsed his mouth out several times. He saw the sonogram picture Merle had left on the fridge last night and groaned again, his head falling and his chin hitting his chest. He replayed the conversation he had with Merle last night in his head, finding himself surprised he actually remembered most of it. He patted the pocket of his jeans looking for his cell phone. It was there, so he reached in his front pocket and pulled it out. He quickly dialed Carol's number.

" _Hello."_ He heard a groggy voice answer on the other end.

" _Hey."_ He replied, sheepishly. _"I didn't wanna wake you, but can you come get me?"_

" _Where are you?"_ She asked, not hiding the panic in her voice. _"Are you okay?_

" _I feel like shit."_ He mumbled. _"But I'm fine and I'm at my house. I don't think I should drive. I got really drunk last night and I think I'm still a little drunk. I just….I wanna see you."_

She sighed heavily. _"Give me five minutes."_

()()()

She arrived at his house in no time. She had assumed he had gotten drunk last night. He'd texted her right before eight to say he loved her, except he didn't spell love right. He'd spelled it, lpbe. She'd tried to call him to check on him right after. Merle answered and informed her he had passed out on the couch. As she made her way up the stairs to his front door she ran her hands up and down her arms. The air was very cool and brisk. She regretted not grabbing a jacket to throw over the tank top she had on. Once she reached the top of the stairs she twisted the door to see if it was locked, it wasn't, so she walked right on in. She noticed Daryl, sitting on the couch with his head leaned back and a hand over his face.

He looked up when he heard the door open. He stood up, his legs still a little wobbly, and he made his way over to her. He pulled her into him, wrapping his arms tightly around her. "Thanks for coming. I'm sorry I woke you up."

"It's okay. I don't have to work today." She muttered.

"Can we go back to your place?"

She looked him over. He still seemed a bit unsteady and she worried about all the stairs on the way back down to the car. She didn't want to chance helping him walk down them and then her falling too. He also still looked nauseous and she worried the ride over might make him sick. "How about I just stay here with you." She suggested.

"Can we go to my room?"

"Can you make it up the stairs?

He nodded and the two started making their way up the narrow stair case. She led the way, with him right behind her, gripping onto the rails and the side of the walls as he made his way up. Once they reached his room she took a seat on his bed and followed her, falling back into the bed. He gently pulled her down beside him and wrapped an arm around her and nuzzled his head into her neck. "I'm sorry I didn't come back to your house last night. I missed you."

"I missed you, too." She replied quietly, as she pulled his arms around her tighter.

"I shouldn't have gotten drunk." He confessed. "I was just….I was being stupid. I just…don't really know how to deal with this."

"It's a lot to deal with." She agreed, as she rolled over to face him. She reached up and brushed his bangs away from his eyes. "You don't have to stay, Daryl. You don't have to." Her voice cracked as she said it, but she wanted him to know that she wasn't holding him to his promise. If it was too much, he was free to walk away. She wouldn't harbor any resentment.

"I know I don't gotta, but I'm here. I'm here and I'm trying." He leaned his head against hers and placed a small kiss on her lips.

She cringed a bit, then let out a small laugh. "You taste like vomit and liquor."

"Sorry." He replied, letting out a small laugh himself.

She saw the flicker of a smile play across his lips and seeing him smile again for the first time in days made her heart swell. "I love you." She blurted out. "And I miss seeing you smile. I want you to be okay. I want us to be okay."

"I love you, too." He replied, softly. "Like I said, I'm trying. It's hard as hell, but I know not seeing you every day, not being with you." He slid his hands around the small of her back. "That'd kill me."

()()()

When Merle woke up an hour later he'd gone downstairs to check on Daryl. He saw his brother was no longer on the couch and made his way up to his bedroom. He found him fast asleep in bed, with an arm around Carol. He wondered how long she had been here and if he called her or if she showed up on her own accord. He knew Daryl was going to be hung over from hell. He knew he was going to feel like shit. He decided to let him sleep in for a while and that he'd just get him to come into work around eleven. He wasn't going to let him make this shit a habit, no matter how hard his personal life was right now, he wasn't about to let him fuck their business up because of it. But his brother worked hard, and he knew any time he lost today he'd make up in the afternoon after closing. He was a hard worker, he just needed a little break today. Besides, he figured it was only fair since he pretty much made him fix Herschel's truck on his own.

Like Merle predicted, Daryl ended up staying later at the shop that evening to get caught up. He still looked like shit when he finally came in around eleven, but he made it through the day. He'd said he was going to go stay the night with Carol later and was just going to head straight there after work. He felt encouraged by that. He knew they still had a long road ahead of them, but maybe they were getting back on the right track, and maybe since Merle was going to be on his side now it would make things easier.

When Merle left work he'd immediately gone to Andrea's. He was ready to tell her he did what she wanted. He decided to support his brother, and Carol too, and he realized he'd been a dick. He eagerly knocked on her door and flashed his best smile when she opened it. "Hey darling."

She looked up at him and then looked down. "Merle, you should probably go."

"I did what you said. I talked to both of them and I realized I was being an ass. I'm supporting both of them now and I want them to stay together. You was right." He told her quickly, hoping she'd hear him out.

"I'm really glad you did that. They both need all the love and support they can get right now." She said sincerely, but her voice was off. There was a certain sadness in her tone that couldn't be missed.

"What the hell's going on?" He spat.

"Nothing." She sighed. "I just…..I had a lot of time to think last night and I think we need to stop this."

"What?" He said, feeling his face fall and his stomach drop.

"We've been screwing around for over three months now. It's fun. I mean, it's great really, but I can't keep doing it."

"Why?"

"Because I….I just can't." She told him flatly. "It doesn't make any sense. To keep sleeping with the same person over and over again, staying the night with them, knowing they don't feel anything for you."

"Andrea…"

"Look, I'm sorry, Merle. I can sleep around. I can have fun, but this is just getting….complicated for me."

He paused and sucked in a deep breath. He almost didn't want to do what he was about to do. He knew he was entering uncharted territory and he had no doubt something was going to fuck this up somehow, but he knew he'd regret it like hell if he didn't try. He grabbed her arm and pulled her in for a kiss. His lips connected with hers hard. He wasn't his little brother. He didn't have that tender ass gooey side. It just wasn't him, but for some God forsaken reason he went and caught feelings for this girl and he had to tell her how he felt. When he broke apart the kiss, he locked eyes with her. "I like you, damn it." He grudgingly confessed. "And I don't just mean I like fucking you. Although, that's pretty nice." He smirked. "And I think you like me too, or else your ass wouldn't be trying to pull a Daryl and tuck tail and run."

Her eyes grew wide and she involuntarily took a step back once they broke apart and he blurted out his confession. "So, what are you saying?"

"Damn it, Andrea. You're smart. You got a damn law degree. Don't make me spell the shit out. I fucking like you and you like me, so let's give this a shot. For real. I know ain't neither of us ever done this relationship thing and we don't know what the hell we're doing, but we practically been a couple anyway. Or at least, I been acting like we were. I ain't been with no one else in three months."

A smile swept her face. "Neither have I."

"Okay then. So, do you wanna do this?"

She nodded, still smiling, and pulled him in for another kiss.


	47. Chapter 47

**(I hope everyone had a Happy Valentine's Day! Here's the next chapter. Enjoy.)**

Over the next two weeks things had gotten somewhat better. He was still a lot quieter than normal. He still didn't really bring up anything that had to do with the baby. But he hadn't gone off and gotten drunk again, and he'd spent just as much time at her place as he normally would have before he found out about the baby. He was still working through this. Things were still really tough. She'd noticed the sonogram picture pinned to his fridge the morning she'd come to his house after he'd gotten drunk. She'd gone to grab something to drink when they woke up and to get him some Tylenol and she'd seen it. He'd watched her closely as she stared at it and a small smile spread across her lips and her eyes lit up. He'd left it up there after that. He saw that it meant something to her to see that picture there and he hadn't wanted to hurt her by taking it down. He hadn't wanted to hurt her and tell her Merle was the one who'd stuck it there in the first place either. So he just said nothing about it, and neither did she. She never asked him about it, she'd never brought it up, but each damn time they were at his place he'd see her smile a little when she looked at it. And each damn time he'd see the picture he'd have to push that knot in his stomach way down and suck it up. He had to do the same damn thing whenever he was at her place too, because she'd stuck her copy on her own damn fridge.

As much as he tried not to think about it, as much as he tried not to dwell on it and just enjoy the time he had left with just her, constant reminders of this unborn child surrounded him. It wasn't just the pictures now either. It wasn't just the vivid memory from the heartbeat he'd heard in that room that would flood his mind. Her body was changing. Her boobs had gotten a little bigger and that little pudge she'd had when she first found out two weeks ago was slowly changing into an obvious baby bump. It wasn't so obvious when she was in her work clothes. You couldn't tell then because her scrub tops were always a little baggy. But when she'd wear a tank top to bed, or when she'd wear a normal sweater or t-shirt that would have clung to her normally thin frame it was extremely obvious. When he'd wrap his arms around her at night, he couldn't help but feel it. He'd cringed and pulled away the first few times, and in turn she'd cringed back and even though he wasn't positioned where he could see her face, he'd known it hurt her. He could almost feel her eyes fall and the way her lips would curl downward. So he'd force himself to move his arms back around and pull her to him tightly. He'd force himself to hold her close and pretend that everything was normal, because he knew this was as close to normal as they'd ever have again.

Tonight, just as they'd done most nights since they'd gotten together, they were laying in her bed together before drifting off to sleep. She'd had to work today and she hadn't been home long. She'd immediately gone and gotten a shower and gotten ready for bed. It was cold as hell outside, but she had the fireplace in her den. Daryl had kept firewood cut regularly and any night he was there he made sure the fire was going good. He said it made more sense to use the fire place and that it would save her money, plus she knew he liked going out and chopping wood. She actually thought it helped him take some of his frustrations out with everything going on. So tonight when she'd gotten out of the shower and dried her hair before heading to bed she'd found the house was toasty and she'd just slipped on a tank top and a pair of boy shorts as she crawled into bed beside him. He must have been feeling toasty too, because he'd only been wearing a pair of loose pajamas. As she slid under the covers with him she curled up beside him and laid her head on his chest. She slowly ran her hands up and down his chest and started kissing his neck. "I miss you." She murmured, between the soft kisses she placed on his neck.

He stifled a moan and turned so he could face her. "I'm right here. I been with you the last three nights."

She placed her hands on his shoulders and pulled him in for a kiss. When she broke apart she met his eyes. "I know that, but I miss being with you." She placed a hand on the side of his face and slowly ran it down his neck, then his chest, and stopped just above the waist band of his pajamas.

He sucked in a deep breath. Her touch sending chills all over his body. He knew what she meant. They hadn't been together since she'd told him about the baby. He held her at night, he'd kiss her on the lips, he'd hold her hand, he'd hug her, but he hadn't made out with her. He wouldn't run his hands up and down her body. He wouldn't try anything with her. The idea of being with her like that while she was pregnant with someone else's child was a little weird for him. Realistically, he'd known every time they'd done it since they got together she'd already been pregnant, but now that he knew about the baby, he just hadn't been able to bring himself to try anything. "I miss being with you, too." He told her softly, as he brought his lips to hers again. She quickly deepened it and pulled him into her. For a moment he got into it. He kissed her back fiercely, cupping her face and then he moved his hands down to her rib cage, tracing them down her tank top until they reached her belly, but he suddenly pulled away when he touched the baby bump.

She froze and swallowed hard, looking down at her protruding belly. "Is it because…..is it because I'm gaining weight. Because I don't look the same?" She asked, lowly.

He placed a hand under her chin and brought her face back up to meet his eyes. "That ain't it. You're beautiful. You're still the most beautiful girl in the world to me and you always will be."

His response elicited a small smile, but her face fell again quickly. She realized it must be because of her being pregnant. It was just too weird for him. She should have picked up on that sooner. "I get it." She mumbled.

He internally cursed himself for freezing up and stopping. He wanted her. He wanted her bad. They'd done it all the time after they first got together before all of this. They'd practically been like teenagers. It was just strange to think about putting that in there while someone else's kid was up there. He felt like an idiot and realized he was going to be pretty miserable if he didn't get it over it and just do it. It's not like there'd be much time for that once this kid got here. And he didn't want her to ever think it wasn't because he didn't like how she looked or that he didn't still want her. In fact, the bump itself didn't bother him. He actually thought she looked really cute with it. It's just knowing what was behind the bump that got to him. He had to stop doing this, though. He had to stop wasting what time he had left with just her. He cupped her face again, kissing her passionately and moving himself on top of her. He moved his lips to her jaw line and then down to her neck.

"You don't have to if you don't want to." She forced herself to say. She wanted to. She wanted to bad, but she felt like she'd guilted him into this and she didn't want sympathy sex.

He pulled away from her neck briefly and locked his blue eyes on hers. He gave her a small smirk. "Does that feel like I don't want to do this?" He asked, pressing his hips further into hers.

She just shook her head, returning a small smirk of her own and pulling his lips back to hers.

()()()

When his alarm went off the next morning for work he woke up in a relatively good mood. He'd missed being with her so much and it hadn't been as weird as he thought it was going to be. He was probably a lot more careful with her than he normally would have been had he not known. He hadn't wanted to get too rough. He didn't know if it was okay. He wasn't sure if the baby could feel those types of things or if he could hurt it or her. He also wasn't sure if it had been okay to do what he'd done inside of her last night, although she assured him it was fine. He decided he might actually need to ask her doctor some questions instead of just sitting there in silence the next time. He had no clue about pregnancy and what she was or wasn't supposed to be doing. He wanted to know she was taking care of herself and that she wasn't putting herself in any type of danger.

She wasn't in bed beside him when he'd woken up. He'd scanned his eyes over to the bathroom door, assuming she was in there. The door was wide open and there was no sign of her in there either. He made his way into the hallway and immediately smelled the aroma of maple syrup and bacon. He followed the smell and found her in the kitchen making them breakfast. "Smells good." He mumbled, stepping towards her and placing a quick kiss on her cheek.

"Thanks." She replied. "A smile playing at her lips, as she flipped a pancake. "Do you want grits or eggs?"

"Can I have both?" He asked, with a boyish grin.

She shot him a disapproving look, but she quickly walked to the fridge and pulled out a carton of eggs and the box of grits.

He went and grabbed two glasses for them and then made his way to the fridge and pulled out some orange juice. "You want any help?"

"I think I can handle it. Can you grab the cheese for me though?"

He nodded and reached back in the fridge for the cheese and tossed it to her.

"You better enjoy this." She warned.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Enjoy what?"

"Eating all this greasy ass food. My parents will be here in two weeks on their way down to Florida. You know daddy can't have food like this. It's gonna be all turkey bacon and egg whites for breakfast for two days."

He eyed her cautiously. "You still haven't told them, have you?"

She shook her head. "That's not exactly a conversation I feel needs to be had over the phone. I'll tell them when they get here."

His eyes went down to her belly. He didn't wanna talk about this. He avoided talking about the baby at all costs, but he couldn't avoid it this morning. He couldn't avoid it in two weeks when her parents got here either. "You ain't gonna have to tell them. They'll figure it out when they see you. It's getting hard to hide."

She sighed. "I'll wear a big sweater. It'll be fine."

He bit his bottom lip. He wasn't so sure. He didn't like that this had been hidden from them the last month. He'd blatantly told her father she wasn't pregnant when he asked his permission to marry her. "People around town are gonna start figuring it out too." He pressed. They hadn't told anyone else yet. Only Merle and their friends knew.

She nodded. "I know. We'll deal with it. I still have to figure out what to say when people ask whose it is. I don't wanna take a chance that it will somehow get back to him." She mumbled.

He clenched his fists together and took a deep breath. The thought of Ed finding out and trying to come fuck with her. Trying to hurt her kid. It had his blood boiling. He wished the mother fucker would show up and try to lay claim to her or the baby. All he needed was a reason to go off on him. He'd wanted to for a long time now. Especially after all of this.


	48. Chapter 48

**(I'm off for the next two days, so I'll probably be posting a lot today and tomorrow. I'm enjoying having some time to write and reflect. I'm trying really hard to approach this story from a realistic view point. I am trying to really get inside my character's heads and think of what they'd be feeling. This story has a special place in my heart, and when I finish it I'll inform you all of why it does and why I wanted to write it. My reasoning behind the story has made everyone seem very out of character. Except for Merle. I feel I've probably stayed truest to Merle's nature in this story out of everyone. Anyway, here's the next one. I hope people are still reading and enjoying this.)**

It was Sunday morning and Carol and Lori were strolling through the grocery store to pick out some healthier meal choices for when her parents came into town tomorrow. The two had gone and gotten a pedicure earlier and Carol had wanted to stop by the supermarket on the way back.

As they made their way toward the food section Lori suddenly stopped in her tracks as they passed the baby aisle. She'd seen a frilly pink dress and stopped to pick it up. "Look at this." She gushed, holding it out to Carol. "Isn't it the most adorable thing you've ever seen?"

Carol cocked an eyebrow and gave her a questioning look. "Are you pregnant too?"

She rolled her eyes and ran her hands along the frills. "I meant it would be adorable on your baby."

I don't even know what I'm having yet." She pointed out.

"Yeah, but I'm sure you've thought about it."

She smiled lightly, running her own hand down the frills. "I have."

"Do you know what you want?"

"I just want it to be healthy." She replied, honestly. "I was so scared that something was going to be horribly wrong in the beginning. This kid could come out green and purple and I'd be happy as long as it was healthy."

Lori looked over at her and chuckled. "I want a boy first whenever Rick and I decided to have kids. That way he could look out for his little sister."

Carol flashed a small smile, but it wasn't genuine. She envied the fact that when Lori got to do this she'd have someone to share all of these moments with. She'd have someone just as excited about her next appointment as she was. She'd have someone just as excited to know what this baby was. She'd have someone to discuss names with. She'd genuinely started to come to terms with this. She'd accepted the fact that she was going to be a mother and she was looking forward to her next appointment Tuesday. She was looking forward to finding out what she was having. But, it was such a double edged sword. She felt like she couldn't show that excitement in front of Daryl, and they two practically lived together. It wasn't that he'd told her she couldn't. It wasn't that she felt like he'd be mad at her for being excited. But it didn't mean that her excitement wouldn't be something painful for him. She knew he was trying. Things were better than they had been a month ago when he'd first found out. He was able to accidently touch her belly without jerking away now. He didn't outwardly cringe when the word baby was mentioned anymore. They were actually having sex again, and it was happening regularly. He'd give her that adorable smirk of his sometimes and they were able to joke around some. But he still had that look in his eyes when the baby was mentioned or when he saw that sonogram picture on either of their fridges. That empty, broken look. And she knew, she knew deep down, that this was still really painful for him. That it was still a huge internal struggle.

"Well, well. If it isn't two of my favorite ladies." A familiar voice called out.

Carol looked up when she heard the voice and noticed Dale standing there in front of them with a huge grin on his face. "Good to see you, Dale." She offered, sweetly.

"Hey Dale." Lori beamed.

He looked over to the tiny dress Lori was holding on her hands. "Are you and Rick having a little one?"

She nervously looked over to Carol, whose face was scrunched up and she was pulling back on her bottom lip. "No, we're not. I was just thinking about the future." She quickly offered.

"Nothing wrong with that at all. Children are blessings. "He smiled again. "I'm sure you're excited about your wedding approaching next month."

"We can't wait! I hope you'll be there."

"Wouldn't miss it." He replied, warmly, then looked over at Carol. "And I hear congratulations are in order for you, too. Andrea told me Daryl popped the question. Have you two set a big day?"

"Not yet. It just happened right after Christmas. We've both been busy. We didn't really plan on getting married right away." She rambled.

"That's okay. I know you two just got together and it's soon, but I always thought you'd end up together. The way you two were when you were kids. You just don't see a bond like that often. I'm really happy for you."

"Thanks, Dale." She smiled, this time genuinely.

"No problem. And who knows, maybe we'll kind of be family one day if things work out with Merle and Andrea." He laughed. "I never saw that one coming."

"I don't think anyone did." She replied with a laugh of her own. She hadn't seen it coming in the least when they first hooked up, but she'd been thrilled to find out that the two of them were giving this a serious go. They seemed happy when they were together and they were both so damn stubborn and bull headed she thought they made the perfect match.

"Well, I better get going. I just came in here to grab some cat food. It was good seeing the two of you." He pulled Lori in for a close hug first. When he moved to pull Carol in he froze when he felt her belly pressed against him. He looked back over to the baby clothes and slowly pulled apart from her. He looked her over closely, noticing how baggy the sweatshirt she had on was. "Are you? Are you pregnant?" He whispered out.

She looked down and then back up at him. Nodding her head slowly.

"How far along are you?" Confusion clearly written on his face.

"A little over four months." She muttered, lowly.

"I….I didn't know. Does Andrea know?"

"She does. I asked her not to say anything yet. This was a big surprise. I just found out last month. I haven't really told anyone yet. Not even my parents. Andrea and the others wouldn't know either, but they overheard me telling Daryl on New Year's Eve."

He nodded slowly, almost knowingly. He studied her in silence for a moment and then finally offered a small smile. "Well, congratulations. You'll make a great parents."

"Dale." She began, but he cut her off.

"This baby is going to be a real blessing, Carol. Sometimes the best things that happen to us in life are unexpected. The things we never knew we wanted or needed. I can't wait to meet him or her. And don't worry, I won't tell anyone else. Your secret is safe with me." He winked.

()()()

Daryl was sitting in his living room stringing his bow and getting ready to go out for a hunt when he heard a knock on his door. He was expecting it to be Rick. He was supposed to show up and go hunting with him, but when they'd gotten off the phone a few minutes ago he'd said he wouldn't be here for another thirty minutes. He was surprised to find Dale behind the door when he opened it.

"What's going on?" He greeted the older man with a nod. "Did Merle not leave that check for the shop with you the other day when him and Andrea stopped by?"

"No, no. He did. Actually, I uh, I wanted to stop by and see you."

Daryl's eyebrows shot up. He instantly thought Merle had done something wrong to Andrea and it had pissed Dale off. "Whatever that dumbass brother of mine did to her, don't worry, I'll take care of it."

Dale chuckled. "Merle didn't do anything. He and Andrea are fine as far as I know."

"Oh, well what's going on then?"

"Can I come inside?"

He nodded and stepped aside to let him in the house. As he went to shut the door he noticed that Dale had been holding a bag behind his back. He eyed it curiously, as he watched Dale take a seat on a bar stool in the kitchen.

"Have I told you how great it is that you and Carol are engaged?"

He shook his head. "Nah you haven't, but I appreciate it." He replied, gruffly.

"I was married to my wife for a long time before I lost her to cancer. I loved her dearly. After she passed, I was never truly able to let myself move on. I don't think I'll ever be able to love someone the way I love her."

Daryl listened closely, very unsure of where this conversation was going.

"She was pregnant once. We lost the baby. It hurt her so bad we decided never to try again. She wanted a baby so bad. I did too, but above anything else I wanted her to be happy. Seeing it tear her apart like that, seeing how hurt she was after losing it. I couldn't ever ask her to try again. Her happiness was more important to me than my own." He emotionally recalled. "She quilted. She quilted a lot and when she was pregnant I can't count how many little blankets she made. I've been saving them for Andrea and Amy. Although, I was reaching a point where I wondered if Andrea would ever actually stay with a guy long enough to have kids." He chuckled.

The talk of pregnancy and baby blankets had him squirming in place. He felt that all too familiar knot in his stomach rise. His eyes shot over to sonogram picture on the fridge and it lingered there a little too long. Dale must have noticed too, because out of the corner of his eye he saw his head turn back to see what he was looking at.

"I saw Carol today at the supermarket." He bluntly informed him. "She and Lori were looking at baby clothes."

He shifted nervously on the balls of his feet and shoved his hands in his pockets. "She told you?" He mumbled.

"No…..She didn't." He replied, shaking his head. "When I went to hug her goodbye I felt her baby bump and figured it out on my own."

He hung his head and sighed. He'd known people were going to figure it out soon enough. It couldn't be hidden forever. This was just one more step to making it even more real. And he didn't look forward to having to explain to people that this wasn't his kid either. Knowing it himself hurt enough, saying it out loud was just going to be an extra punch in the gut.

"I wanted to give you this." Dale said, reaching into the bag and pulling out a hand stitched pink and blue baby blanket. "You and Merle, well you mean a lot to me. I took you boys under my wing and I'm proud as hell of the young men you turned out to be. You're damn fine mechanics, you're damn fine business owners, and most of all you're damn fine men. I think my wife would have wanted you to have this." He held the blanket out to give to Daryl.

He popped his head up at the speech Dale had just given. His stomach knotting up even more. "I don't know what she told you, but."

"Take the blanket, Daryl." He insisted, pushing it towards him.

Daryl looked at the blanket and looked down again, exhaling deeply. "Dale, it ain't…"

"Daryl, I want you to have this." He said, firmly.

"The baby ain't…" He huffed.

"Damn it, son, I know how to do math!" He spouted out, not hiding his frustrations. "Just take the damn blanket."

He wanted to argue with him. He wanted to scream to the top of his lungs that this wasn't his kid. He wanted to tell someone how bad this was actually bothering him. To let go of every ounce of frustration he was hiding deep down. Because he couldn't tell Carol that. It would hurt her. It would make her feel guilty. And in all honesty, he worried she'd love him less for it. If she actually knew that he was pretty sure he was going to resent the hell out of her child. That when he thought about seeing it, he was pretty sure he'd throw up. How could she still love him and want to be with him if she knew that. For a brief moment, he wanted to confess all of that to Dale. To tell him the truth just to get it off his damn chest. But he didn't. He didn't see the point. Dale was optimistic by nature. He would give him some speech about how things were going to turn out fine no matter what. How everything was just fucking rainbows and butterflies in the end. He didn't wanna hear that right now. He may have needed to hear it, but he didn't wanna. Because in his mind he didn't see how this ever had a positive outcome for him. He wordlessly took the blanket from Dale, pulling it a little harder from his hands than he'd probably meant to.

"I'm here for you, son. Anything the three of you need, you just let me know." He patted him on the shoulder as he stood up to leave before muttering something in Latin. "DOLOR HIC TIBI PRODERIT OLIM." He turned around to face Daryl after the words left his mouth.

What the fuck does that mean?" He grumbled, looking at Dale like he had two heads."

"Someday this pain will be useful to you." He smiled and gave a small nod before stepping out of the door.


	49. Chapter 49

**(Like I said, I wasn't very busy today and yesterday and I may have posted a lot lately. I guess I could have waited and just had some stuff pre-written, but I'm not a patient person in the least and as hard as I tried to do that, I went ahead and posted anyway. So you might wanna make sure you haven't missed a chapter before reading this. Anyway, hope you enjoy!)**

She was standing in front of the sink brushing her teeth Monday morning while Daryl was in the bedroom getting dressed for work. "Are you going to stay here while my parents are in town or are you going to stay at your place?"

He slid his shirt over his head and walked towards the bathroom door, stopping and leaning against the frame, crossing his arms. "Don't matter. Whatever you want me to do."

"It's up to you." She replied, then went to rinse her mouth out.

"Totally hot when you spit like that." He joked, smirking at her.

"Shut up." She laughed, tapping him lightly in the chest.

He caught hold of her hand before she pulled away and pulled her in for a quick kiss.

She smiled as they broke apart. "You're in a really good mood this morning." She pointed out.

He shrugged. He was in a good mood. A guy called yesterday and was coming into the shop with a classic Harley today and he was going to get to rebuild the motor for it and he was fucking excited about it. He loved bikes and he didn't get to work on them that much since moving back home. The guy had a collection too, and he'd promised Daryl he could come check them out later this week. Plus he'd had a good hunt with Rick yesterday. Between the two of them they'd bagged 15 rabbits, 10 squirrels, and 5 opossums. They'd cleaned them and then divided the meat between them. Then when he'd gotten back to her place he'd given her that blanket that Dale had given him and her face had lit up like a damn Christmas tree. He hadn't seen her smile like that in a while and even though it did have to do with the baby, it had made him feel good to see her so happy. He'd cooked some rabbit. They watched a movie on Netflix. She crawled on top of him halfway through the movie and they just stayed like that, kissing, for what felt like forever. It was just a nice, light-hearted evening. So, yeah, he was in a pretty good mood this morning. "Last night was a good night."

"Yeah, it was." She agreed, pulling him in for another kiss. "So, are you staying here tonight or going home?"

"You want me here?"

"I always sleep better when you're here."

He nodded. "I'll be here then."

She nodded back. Then she slipped past him and walked towards her closet, trying to pick something out to wear for today. Most of her normal clothes didn't fit her anymore. Not her jeans. Not her shirts. Hell, trying to squeeze into her bra had become a battle. She finally settled on a baggy maroon sweatshirt and some very forgiving black leggings.

He bit his bottom lip when he saw her. He knew if her parents saw her dressed like this they'd know. She didn't wear baggy clothes. She didn't have to. Ever since he could remember she'd been tall and slender. Even when they were kids. If she'd worn anything like this it would have swallowed her. He knew she was telling them today, but they'd know something was weird as soon as they saw this. They weren't idiots. And he knew her dad's first response would be thinking he'd lied to him. "What time are they getting here?"

"Around lunch time."

"Are you gonna….are you gonna tell them a soon as they get here?"

"I don't know. I'm still trying to figure out exactly what to say." Her face was strained as she said it. Her parents were older, but they weren't prudes. She knew they knew the two of them were sleeping together after all they'd seen when they were staying with her. She also knew they'd known she lived with Ed and they weren't idiots who thought the two had separate rooms. But the idea of telling them she was pregnant with someone's child and marrying another man was strange. She was worried they'd be disappointed in her. She was worried they'd be upset with her that their grandchild wasn't going to have a father. And she was worried they'd urge her to tell Ed about the baby. They hadn't known why the two really broke up. She just told them it wasn't going to work. She didn't look forward to telling them either. Her dad's reaction would probably be similar to Daryl's.

"Don't take this the wrong way." He replied, carefully. "But they ain't stupid. They're gonna know something's up."

She frowned and looked down at her belly, slowly placing a hand over it.

"I ain't calling you fat, damn it." He groaned. He'd never feel comfortable pointing it out. It always felt like it sounded mean as hell. "It's just…really noticeable."

"I know it is." She sighed. "Like I told you, Dale felt it when I hugged him yesterday."

"Your parents are gonna hug you too. You know that, right?"

She nodded. She grew silent and stared off into the distance. "I'll tell them as soon as they get here."

He chewed at the inside of his lip. "You want me there too?"

"You don't have to be."

He sighed heavily. He thought back to the conversation he had with her father in the hospital and how her dad had told him he was good enough for her. One of those reasons had been because he'd always been there for her. "I think I kinda do."

She grabbed his hand and linked it with hers. "We'll do this together then."

()()()

She'd texted him when her parents let her know that they were thirty minutes away. It was around the normal time he'd take lunch at the shop anyway, but he'd still explained to Merle that they were telling her parents in case it ended up taking a while. When he got back to her place he was surprised to see she'd changed out of what she was wearing this morning. She now had on one of his t-shirts and those pajama's she'd gotten in college that he wore to sleep sometimes. He raised an eyebrow at her. "Yeah, being dressed like that in the middle of the day ain't weird at all."

"It's baggier and it shows less." She mumbled. She walked towards the kitchen and pulled some salad mix out of the fridge and then pulled baked chicken out of the oven.

He rolled his eyes and followed her. When he went to grab a piece of chicken she swatted his hand away. "I'm starving. Been busting my ass at work."

"You're just gonna have to be patient. My parents will be here in a few minutes." Shortly after the words left her mouth the doorbell rang and she felt herself jump.

He looked at her and placed a hand on her lower back. "Hey, it's gonna be alright. They're your parents. They love you no matter what and they're gonna love their grandkid."

She took a deep breath and headed for the door. She paused before opening it and forced a smile across her face. "Hey mom and dad."

Her parents were originally smiling when she opened the door, but shot her a funny look upon seeing how she was dressed. "Are you feeling okay?" Her mother asked. Scanning her eyes up and down her daughter.

"Yeah. I feel great….Great….Just great." She heard how feigned the words sounded as they left her mouth and she wondered if they could see the sweat beads dripping from her forehead.

Her dad arched his brows and gave her a questioning look. His eyes then shot over to Daryl and he noticed as the boy looked down, purposefully avoiding his gaze.

"Did you have a good trip?" She asked, ushering them inside.

"You know we love the mountains." Her mother began. "We got to see some snow last week. I know you only got flurries here." She looked at her daughter again, who was wringing her hands and squirming back and forth. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Mhm."

Her dad looked at her and back over at Daryl. "Since she obviously ain't gonna tell us what the hell's going on maybe you'd be kind enough to let me know why she's dressed in your clothes in the middle of the day and she looks like she's gonna jump clean damn out of her skin."

"Actually, those ain't my pants. She got them back in college. I just sleep in them sometimes…"

"Daryl William Dixon." Her mother demanded. "Stop rambling and spit it out."

That got his attention. He'd probably only heard her mom raise her voice twice in his whole life. Plus she middle named him. And he hated his damn middle name. It was his old man's name. He nervously looked down at Carol, wondering if she was going to speak up.

She gave him a slight not and moved her gaze back to her parents. "Can we sit down?" She asked quietly, motioning to the couch.

Her parents looked to one another and slowly moved to take a seat on the large couch. She and Daryl moved to the love seat.

She involuntarily started shaking her leg and trained her eyes on the floral rug at her feet. She felt Daryl grip her hand tightly. Silence taking hold momentarily before the words could her mouth. "I'm pregnant." She finally blurted out.

Her parents both looked dumbfounded. Both swapping glances at one another then and then to the couple in front of them.

"How far along?" He mother asked.

She cringed and bit her bottom lip hard. "Four months."

"You're four months pregnant and you're just now telling us?" He father snapped, raising his voice a few notches. He narrowed his eyes on Daryl. "You told me she wasn't pregnant when you told me you wanted to marry her. You looked me in the eye and told me she wasn't pregnant. You lied to me."

"I didn't lie to you." He snapped back. "I didn't know." He didn't like being yelled at. He'd never handled it well. He always became defensive.

His eyes were firey and he glared at Daryl then shot his eyes back at his daughter. "How long have you known? He demanded.

"New Year's Eve "I went to get put on the pill and they told me I was pregnant. I didn't know either. Believe me, it was a complete surprise." The look on her face wasn't that of a grown woman, yet one of a small child in trouble.

"Why didn't you two just call us when you found out? It isn't like we'd have been mad. You're not teenagers anymore. You both have stable jobs." Her mom offered, calmly. She was trying to be the voice of reason. She always had been.

"I'm four months pregnant, mom." She replied, her voice shakey.

"We heard that the first time." Her dad muttered.

"Four…months…pregnant." She repeated, slowly. "Do you think I just slept with Daryl the second I ran back into him after not talking for six years?"

Daryl hung his head. Her parents froze. The room grew completely quiet and still.

Her mother was the first to speak up. "So is it….is it Ed's?"

"Yeah." She mumbled. Folding her arms over her chest.

Her dad ran a hand through his thin hair. "What did he say when you told him? Is the little asshole going to step up?"

"I didn't…and I'm not going to." She said, firmly.

Her mother clasp her hands together. "Sweetie, I realize things didn't work out, but that's his child too. He deserves to know."

"No, he doesn't." She snapped, growing emotional.

"Look, I didn't like the little prick, but your mother's right. It's his child. I get you and Daryl are happy and you are getting married and having him around is going to be awkward and weird, but if it was my child I'd wanna know too."

"Daddy…"

"You just can't keep something like that from someone." He continued. "I can't imagine having a child I didn't know about."

"Daddy…" She tried to interrupt him again, but the man wasn't listening to a word she was saying.

"I mean, that's pretty damn selfish."

Daryl looked over at her and saw her pressing her lips together hard. He saw her pushing a tear back from the corner of her eye. She was trying to tell them why she didn't want him around her kid, but her dad just wasn't listening. He was a good man. He always had been. But he was a hard headed man who always liked to get his point across. It didn't mean he was an asshole like his own old man, it didn't mean he wasn't a good father, it was just who he was. But Daryl was frustrated that the man wasn't listening. He was frustrated that they were trying to say that this asshole had a right to see her kid. And he'd been really frustrated when her dad had called her selfish. He was at his breaking point and he couldn't just sit and listen any longer. "She ain't selfish! He put his damn hands on her!" He barked. "That's why she left him! That's why she don't wanna tell him! Bastard don't deserve to know. He didn't deserve her to begin with. He damn sure don't deserve to be having a baby with her. He ain't coming near her ever again…..or this kid." 


	50. Chapter 50

**(Here's one more for tonight. I've updated way too much these past two days. Thanks for reading and reviewing! I always enjoy reviews, they inspire me to write more, although I'm the worst person ever at taking time to actually review myself.)**

The moment those words left Daryl's mouth her father felt his jaw clench. He felt his blood run cold. Hearing that the low life son of a bitch had put his hands on his daughter infuriated him. He felt his heart rate spike, and thought it probably wasn't healthy seeing as how he'd suffered a heart attack a little over two months ago, he couldn't control it. That's what he'd never wanted for his daughter. That's why he'd always pushed her to get a good education. Pushed her to be independent. He'd never wanted her to have to feel like she needed to depend on a man for her livelihood. He'd watched his mother live in an unhappy marriage with his father for years. Sure, the man hadn't ever physically put his hands on her. But he degraded her. He beat her down with his words. Cheated on her countless times. She'd often tell her sons that if she'd had the money and the means, she'd have left him long ago. But she didn't. She'd married his father straight out of high school and children had quickly followed. She was a house wife with no job skills, no education.

He promised himself he'd never be that man. He'd promised himself if he ever had a daughter he'd protect her from that kind of man. He'd done everything he knew how to raise a strong, independent woman who'd never end up in that situation. Yet, somehow that obviously still hadn't been enough. When he looked over and saw the pained expression on his daughter's face, when he noticed she was trying her hardest to fight back tears after Daryl's admission, he felt his heart shatter. He wanted to run to his daughter and pull her into his arms. Though the young man who'd just broken the news to him had beaten him to the punch. He'd quickly pulled her into him, her head was resting snuggly between the crook of his neck and his chest. He felt his own face contort and he slowly walked over to his daughter, placing a hand on her shoulder. "When did this happen? How many times?" He asked.

She looked up at father. She could hear in his voice as he spoke that he was choking back tears of his own. She'd only seen the man cry twice before. Once was when her grandmother died. The second was when a dog they'd had the majority of her childhood passed away from old age. "It happened twice." She forced out. "The first time he came home drunk…..He swore it was a mistake. That it'd never happen again. He cried. He cried and he….he begged me to forgive him. He'd seemed so sorry. I believed him. I stupidly, believed him. I should have known better….but I gave him another chance."

Her mother covered her mouth and stifled tears of her own as she made her way towards her daughter. She took a seat on the arm rest and ran a hand through her daughter's hair. "I'm so sorry, baby girl. I'm so sorry. I wish you would have called us. I wish you would have told us."

Daryl looked down at her too. The re-hashing of the story sending waves of regret throughout his mind. He wished more than anything he would have been there. It wouldn't have happened if he would have. Because the first time he ever would have heard the man speak to her out of line he'd have knocked him out. And if she'd have stayed with him after that, he'd have broken the man's damn jaw once he heard about him doing anything while he was drunk. There wouldn't have been a second time for him to lay his hands on her. Internally, he did somewhat blame himself for this happening to her. If they'd have stayed friends, if he hadn't of ran away, he could have been around to stop it.

"And the second time?" He father pressed. "What happened the second time?" Though the tone in his voice almost said he didn't really want to know.

She shook her head, clinging tighter to Daryl. "We got into a fight about my car when I bought it. He didn't think I should have it. He said I wouldn't need it once we got married and started having kids. That'd there be no place to put a baby….He said I wouldn't be able to afford it either….That I'd need to stay home and take care of the kids. I got….mad…I mean…I was pissed. I busted my ass to get through nursing school. I worked hard to pay my bills. I saved like hell for a down payment on this car. I paid the majority of the bills at the apartment. I told him I wasn't taking the car back. I told him I wasn't going to quit my job if we had kids. I told him that he was being an asshole and that I didn't know where all this shit was coming from but he needed to get his head out of his ass, because there was no way in hell any of that was happening….Then he….he slapped me. He slapped me so damn hard my head hit the wall behind me. He told me that I was marrying him and I'd do whatever the hell he told me to do." She recounted the story without bursting into tears. It was still painful to tell. It was a horrible memory to re-live, but she wasn't going to let herself cry over something he did to her. He didn't deserve her tears.

"That little bastard." He father hissed through clenched teeth.

She felt Daryl's body tense as she told the story. Her head was pressed against his chest and she could hear his heart pounding. She hadn't gone into this much detail about it with him before. The only time they'd talked about what had happened had been in the hotel that night they were arguing. All she'd said then was that Ed slapped her so hard her head hit the wall. That had made him angry enough. She looked up and met his eyes, trying to communicate that it was over and done with and he needed to calm down. But then it hit her, it wasn't over. Not really. She was carrying a constant reminder of that relationship in her belly at this very moment. A living, breathing reminder that would be here in five months.

"Did you press charges? Did he get locked up?" Her mother asked.

She shook her head. "I called Lori when he went to sleep. I told her what happened. I told her I wanted to leave. That I needed to get as far away from there as possible. That I couldn't marry him….that I couldn't have children with someone like that." She added lowly. "She told me to come move in with her and Rick. She said Maggie could get me on at the hospital here. I left a note…and I just…I just left him….He went to work and I….I packed all of my clothes and my pictures and stuff….and I left a note ending it. That was it…I haven't seen him since." She let her eyes and her voice grow serious before adding. "And I'm not going too. I am not letting my baby around him. He's not getting the chance to put his hands on my child."

"If I ever see him….I swear, I'll." Her father began

"Yeah, you and me both." Daryl growled, letting his eyes meet the older man's.

()()()

Daryl had to leave and go back to work and that meant Carol was going to be left alone with her parents for the next few hours. The air in the house was thick. She'd known the pregnancy bombshell was going to stun them. She'd know that the situation was more than likely going to turn to if Ed was going to be in the picture. She'd been expecting it. But that didn't mean it had made the conversation any easier to have. Her parents were older. They'd been married a long time before they were actually able to get pregnant with her and had pretty much given up on the fact that they'd ever have kids when her mother finally found out she was pregnant. They were 62 and 66 now. She felt guilty putting all of this on them at their age. It was a lot for them to take in. And that's why she'd never burdened them with why she left Ed before. She felt like it would only stress them out and it was something they hadn't needed to know. But now they actually did need to know, because they had to understand why she didn't want him around her child. If he was a different man and the relationship had ended for any other reason, she wouldn't mind him seeing her kid. Sure, it would still put a strain on her and Daryl. It would be awkward and weird, but it would be what was best for her child and she'd do it. But with who this man was, with what he had done, him not seeing it was what was best. And even though this baby wasn't here yet, she still felt an overwhelming urge to protect it and keep it safe.

"I can't believe my baby is having a baby." Carol's mother said, softly, as she approached the kitchen table where Carol was sitting down eating that afternoon. It was just the two of them in the house right now. Her dad run into town to pick some things up.

"Imagine how I felt." She snorted. "I made them give me another test and then I when it came up positive too I still told them they were wrong." She sighed. "I couldn't argue with the blood test though, and I sure can't argue with this." She pressed her hand against her belly

Her mother offered a small smile. "Can I?" She motioned towards her daughter's belly.

She nodded, sliding back from her seat so her mother could have a better angle.

"Have you felt him or her move yet?"

"Not yet. I don't think so anyway." She mused. "I haven't had any normal pregnancy symptoms. I never got morning sickness. No dizziness. I still had some light bleeding I thought was my period. Everything seemed so….normal. I was just a little more tired than usual….But I was stressed from leaving Ed and then two days back home and I ran into Daryl again. I wasn't sleeping great at night, so I didn't think anything of it."

She slid her hands around her daughter's belly. Marveling at the fact that her grandchild was in there. "I bet this has been really hard on you." She wondered aloud, slowly removing her hand.

She sucked in a deep breath. "Can I tell you something and you won't think less of me for it?"

"You're my child. Nothing you say can make me love you any less." She replied, her own blue eyes meeting her daughters.

"When I found out….I was freaked out. All I could think about was how this was the worst timing. The worst circumstances. How my baby would never know its father. How this was going to rip everything with Daryl apart. Everything I wanted for so long. How I was going to. "She paused. "That I was going to resent my child because of the way I feel about its father. And I actually let myself consider….not keeping it. I thought it would be easier if I didn't."

Her mother was listening intently. Not showing any facial expression or emotion. "What changed your mind?"

"Working in the NICU I guess. There was this baby who'd been with us for two months. He almost died several times. His parents were teenagers. I don't even think they were together. But they still wanted him. You know? They came and prayed over him every single day. They loved him. Despite the bad timing, despite what they may have felt for one another, they still loved that little boy. And I held him that night, I held him in my arms and I just knew. I knew if I didn't keep this baby, I'd think about it every single time I held a baby at work. Every single time someone stood there and hoped and prayed that their child made it out of NICU, I'd think about what could have been. And then when I went to my first appointment and I heard that heartbeat. When I they handed me those pictures." She looked over her shoulder and trained her gaze on the sonogram picture on the refrigerator. "I knew that I wanted this baby. That it was my baby. It didn't matter anymore who the father was. I know I'll love it no matter what. I mean, I'm still scared. I still don't know what the hell I'm doing, but I know I want him or her."

He mother smiled and reached out to grab her daughter hands. "You're going to a great mom. It's always scary when you get pregnant. No matter how old you are, no matter how prepared you think you are. You always have doubts, fears. But in the end, when you hold your baby for the first time, all of that washes away."

She let out a nervous laugh. "Yeah, I hope so."

"You'll be fine." She assured her.

Carol offered her mom a small smile.

"So, how are you and Daryl? I bet this has been hard on him too."

She tugged at her bottom lip. "Yeah….it has. Things were….really tough at first…We didn't talk much for days after I told him. I mean, he was here. We were in the same space, but we didn't speak much. Then I had my first appointment and it really got to him. It was real, seeing the baby, hearing the heartbeat. He went home and got really drunk, but the next morning he called me over. Then he was really distant for two weeks. He didn't wanna….well he didn't wanna…you know?" She blushed." It's still complicated. I mean…sometimes we have really good days and it almost seems normal. Last night was one of those really good nights. He was…happy. I was happy. He woke up in a good mood and it was like we were a normal engaged couple. We kissed. We smiled. We joked. It was good….Other days though, he's really quiet. He gets this look in his eyes and it breaks my heart to see it."

"But he's still here." She pointed out. "He stood by you when you told us. He was really there for you earlier."

"Yeah. He's still here." She ran her hands over the rim of her glass and wouldn't meet her mother's gaze.

"Do you think this isn't going to work out?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

She sighed deeply. "I haven't even said this out loud before, not to anyone. I try not to think it. I don't let myself think about it. And it hurts to even say. But I don't know, mom. I want it too. I want it to work out so much. I love him so much and I know he loves me. He'd do anything for me. But the baby…I just…I don't know about the baby. He won't talk about it. Not unless he has too. And I don't make him. I don't bring it up. Not even when I wanna talk about it. Not when I feel excited about it and I want to have someone to share that with. Because I know how I'd feel if this was reversed. If he was having a child with someone else. It would…..It would break my heart and I wouldn't even have to see reminders of it every single day. His body wouldn't change and once it was born it wouldn't be with us all the time. I just…I don't know how he's going to react when he sees this baby for real. When it's here and it's crying and screaming and it needs me to hold it or feed it or change it. It's going to be here all the time….all the time. It's going to become what my life revolves around. "Maggie and Merle, they say he'll love it just because it's mine. But it can't be that easy can it?"


	51. Chapter 51

Her mother paused and pursed her lips together. Pondering everything she'd just told her. She reached out and linked her hand with Carol's. "As your mother, I'd love to tell you that it is that easy. That he's going to have this sudden, heart-warming realization that this is your child and he loves it no matter what simply because it's yours. I watched him grow from that shy, angry, foul-mouthed little boy that you brought home on the school bus when he was eight years old into a compassionate, hard-working, respectable young man. I very well think he's capable of that happening, especially with how much he's always loved you. But, I don't know what's going on in his head. I don't know what his doubts and fears are, and I'm guessing you don't either seeing as how he has no idea what's going on in your head. You need to talk to him, baby girl. You need to let each other know how you're feeling. How you're really feeling."

She could feel her own eyes start to water again and she realized that she'd cried more the last four months than she'd probably cried in the last four years. "I don't wanna." She whined, poking her bottom lip out like a small child.

Her mother let out a small laugh and shook her head. "You're not a kid anymore. You can't act like one. You're engaged to the man. You're a mother to be. If you don't deal with this now, if you both just sit here with all of those feelings festering, it's just going to come spewing out one day without warning. You don't want that day to be after the baby gets here. You're going to be emotional and exhausted enough from being a new mom."

She shook her head and swallowed hard. "No I don't, but I'm not ready to lose him yet either."

()()()

Her talk with her mother had been a double edged sword. It felt good to get things off her chest. Things she'd been holding in way too long. It wasn't that she hadn't had anyone to come clean too. She knew her friends would have been there if she wanted to talk about it, but she just hadn't been able to get the words out of her mouth to any of them. To truly admit that she had doubts that he'd be able to stay once the baby got there. And she hadn't even told her own mother this, because it would have meant going down a whole other rabbit trail, but a large part of her feared he'd just freak out and slip out in the middle of the night without a word. That it would become too much for him and rather than see her face when he had to tell her that, he would just quietly walk away without a word one night. That thought scared her to death.

She knew her mom was right. She knew she had to talk to him, and the sooner the better. But they still had good nights, nights like last night. She lived for nights like that. Kissing him. Laughing with him. Seeing him look at her like she was his whole world. She wasn't ready to chance giving that up yet. Not if there was a chance she'd have to give it up forever in a few months. She didn't want to lose him again. She didn't want to lose her best friend. The love of her life. The man she was supposed to marry.

"You alright?" Her father called out, breaking her deep train of thought.

She'd been sitting on the love seat blankly staring at the TV when he walked back in the house from his run into town and entered the living room. She turned to look up at him and forced a small smile. "I'm fine, daddy."

His eyes met hers and he could see the pain behind them. He'd gone into town shortly after Daryl left. The earlier news of the day had caught him off guard and he needed to clear his head. He wanted to kill that son of a bitch ex- fiancé of hers. "Can I sit by you?" He asked, turning his normally gruff voice into a more tender tone.

She gave a slight nod and slid over a bit, making more room for him. She didn't speak and neither did he at first. She finally couldn't stand the silence anymore. "Are you disappointed in me?" She blurted out.

He scrunched his face up and cocked an eyebrow. "Why would you think that?"

"Because I was stupid enough to stay with him, because I was stupid enough to get knocked up, because my baby won't have a father." She paused to compose herself because she felt her emotions rising again. "I know this isn't what you wanted for me. I know you raised me better."

He sighed and pulled his daughter in for a hug. "You're not stupid. You're smart and beautiful and I'm extremely proud of you. Don't ever think I'm not proud of you. Not for one second, because I couldn't ask for a better daughter and my grandchild couldn't ask for a better mother."

She wrapped her arms tightly around her father and rested her head on his chest. Much like she used to do when she was a little girl and something would scare her. She thought about how much it had always meant to have her dad there to protect her and comfort her. How she'd been a total daddy's girl as a young child. "I hate that my baby won't have this." She tearfully confessed.

He shook his head. "The baby ain't gonna be missing out on nothing by not having that son of a bitch around. It's better off. I'm sorry I even said you should tell him. I…I had no idea." He choked up.

"I know you didn't." She mumbled.

"And I know that I freaked out a little at first, but this isn't a bad thing. I'm gonna be a Papa. I'm gonna love this little one so much." He reached down and gently touched her belly and smiled. "This baby is gonna have a lot of people who are there for it. Your mother and I, Rick and Lori, the rest of your friends….and Daryl. It won't miss out on anything."

She felt her stomach knot up at her father's words, but she didn't want to get into everything with him that she'd just gotten into with her mother. She'd had enough of being on an emotional roller coaster for the day. "Yeah." She replied quietly, taking a deep breath.

()()()

True to his word, Daryl had come back to stay the night at her place. They'd eaten dinner with her parents. Most of the conversation stemmed around her parents time in the mountains and Rick and Lori's upcoming wedding. Other than that, the evening was quiet. Carol was quiet. He'd picked up on that immediately. He wondered if she and her parents had more words about this whole situation after he left, but both of them seemed okay. He decided not to bring it up in front of her parents though, so he'd just left it alone until they crawled into bed that night.

"You alright?" He asked, as he her watched her head hit the pillow beside him.

"I'm fine. Just really tired." She replied. She hadn't met his eyes though, they were trained on the ceiling above them.

He kept his eyes on her. He was hoping she'd feel them trained on her and roll over to face him, but she never did. "Did something happen after I left?" He asked, softly.

She shook her head. "I told you, I'm just tired." She moved to roll over and positioned her back where it was facing him. Without a word, she reached back and grabbed one of his hands, pulling him towards her and draping it around her.

He pulled himself closer to her and linked his arm around her waist, resting his head hers. "Hey, you don't wanna talk about it yet? I get it. Just…whatever it is, I'm here when you're ready. I love you." He whispered, placing a kiss on her cheek.

()()()

She'd drifted off to sleep pretty fast after he'd wrapped his arms around her. However, he couldn't fall asleep for the life of him. He wanted to know what was on her mind. He wanted to know what the hell happened after he'd left. He knew telling her parents was hard earlier. He knew talking about everything with Ed had been hard for her. But something told him that wasn't what this was about. She seemed so damn sad and when she was sad it made him sad. He'd been laying in the same spot for hours trying to figure it out, but he kept drawing a blank. He felt like he was going to go crazy if had to lay there and think about it any longer, so he decided to get up and watch some TV in the living room for a while. He carefully slid a hand out from under her. He was sure to be as quiet as possible and not wake her up. He knew she needed her sleep. She had a doctor's appointment at nine they were both supposed to be going to.

He tip toed out of the bedroom and very carefully closed the door. He made sure to keep his footsteps light as he strolled through the hallway, but he was surprised to find the living room light on and her mother on the couch watching TV when he entered the room. "Oh…sorry. I didn't know you were in here." He mumbled and ran a hand though his hair. He hadn't thought to put a shirt on. He'd gotten used to it just being the two of them in the house. He suddenly felt extremely self-conscious and uncomfortable.

Her mother smirked a bit at the embarrassed expression on his face. "I couldn't sleep. I decided to watch some TV." She informed him, pointing to the TV which was currently playing a game show.

"Me neither." He mumbled and looked down. "I'll uh, just go back to bed. Didn't mean to bother you." He started backing up, not wanting to turn his back to her.

"Since we're both up I could make us some hot chocolate." She suggested. It's a nippy night and it might help us both fall asleep."

"You don't have too."

"Non-sense. We're both up anyway. Come on." She motioned towards the kitchen.

He slowly followed behind her, but darted off towards the utility room so he could find a shirt as soon as he could. He cursed when he didn't see any dirt clothes in the laundry basket.

"I washed some clothes for the two of you earlier" She called out. "Clean clothes are in the dryer."

"Thanks." He mumbled, opening the dryer and pulling out a tank top and slipping it on.

"You know, I think you've got as many clothes here as she does." The older woman laughed as she sat two steaming cups of hot chocolate down at the table.

He hummed and ran his fingers along the handle of the mugs.

"I remember when you were little kids and you hadn't been coming over long." She began to recall. "The two of you sat in front of that fireplace in the den and roasted marshmallows and drank hot chocolate one night. She thought it was the coolest thing ever and I remember you telling her you go camping all the time and it'd be cool to do that over a real fire. Do you remember what happened the next day?" She laughed.

He snorted. "Yeah. I stole my old man's lighter and built a damn fire in the backyard for us and you and her dad had shit fit."

She chuckled and nodded. "And do you remember what you said when we got on to both of you about starting fires?"

He laughed too. "I said I ain't stupid and that I knew how to handle a damn camp fire." He shook his head. "I can't believe you actually let me come back over after that."

"Well, we considered not letting you, but she cried for hours and we finally gave in. Ever since the first time she brought you home there was something different about her friendship with you. Something that was very different from her friendships back in Pooler and even her friendship with Rick."

He nodded and sipped his hot chocolate. Unsure of what to say next. "This is really good. Thanks." He finally muttered between sips.

She sipped her own cup and nodded in agreeance. "Can I ask you something?" She mused, carefully.

He shifted nervously. A heavy vibe filled the room and he wished he'd just stayed in that damn bed. "I guess so."

She sucked in a deep breath and let her own hands run over the rim of her mug. "What do you feel when you think about this baby?"

He bit his bottom lip hard and started shaking his head. "I don't wanna talk about this."

"The world isn't going to come crashing down if you say what's on your mind. It's okay to talk about it." She warmly encouraged him.

"Ain't nothing to talk about." He gruffly mumbled.

"Daryl, it's okay." She replied reaching for his hand and giving it a tight squeeze. "I know this is hard on you. I know it's not what you signed up for when you asked her to marry you."

He swallowed hard. His hidden emotions bubbling to the surface. Without warning, without planning to, he heard himself speak and he couldn't stop it. "Nah, it ain't." He replied lowly and then deeply exhaled. "What do you want me to say, huh? You want me to say when I think about the baby that I get pissed off sometimes? You want me to say that seeing that damn sonogram picture hurts me like hell every time I look at it? You want me to say that going to the damn doctor with her tomorrow and hearing the heartbeat again is gonna break my damn heart into a million pieces? That I'm scared to death when this baby is born I'm gonna fucking hate it?"

()()()

Carol had woken up and noticed Daryl wasn't in bed next to her like he had been when she fell asleep. She checked in the bathroom to see if he'd gotten up to pee, but he wasn't there. She felt herself panic a little, wondering if her fears had come true and he'd bolted in the middle of the night. She told herself she was being irrational and knew she needed to check the house before she started panicking. As she made her way through the hallway she noticed the living room light on. She moseyed her way in there looking for him, but no one was there. She noticed the kitchen light on and heard voices. She slowly walked towards the kitchen, but stopped in the den once she heard her mother talking, seeing if she could ask Daryl something. She froze in place and made sure to hide behind the wall so she couldn't be seen. When she heard her mother ask what he thought about the baby she felt her stomach drop. She didn't want to hear this. She was scared to hear this. Yet, she couldn't seem to make her feet move to walk away. She heard what he said. She heard every word from him being pissed off up until he said that he was going to hate the baby. She felt her heart drop and she couldn't stick around to listen to anymore. She darted off towards her bedroom, tears already rolling down her face.


	52. Chapter 52

(All of these chapters lately have been so sad and deep. I know they've got to be hard to read and it's probably torture hoping for a happy one to finally pop out somewhere. Thanks for everyone still reading.)

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair before continuing. "I'm scared that I'll…that I'll." He stopped himself. He couldn't say the words out loud. Not to her mother. He just shook his head and locked eyes with her. His tone dropping low and growing extremely serious. "You said the world ain't gonna end if I say how I'm feeling. Yeah, well maybe it don't, but that don't mean my world ain't gonna end."

"Daryl." She began, gently. "This isn't going away. No matter how much you avoid talking about it. No matter how much you try and ignore it, you can't. In five months this child will be here. That's not that long. I bet she's got a lot going on in her head she isn't telling you either. This may be her child and it does make it easier for her to accept what's happening, but that doesn't mean she still isn't struggling too. You two can't do this alone. You asked her to marry you. Marriage is about leaning on each other. Sticking beside each other though the good times and the bad. When things are hard you have to fight like hell to push through them, and you have to push through them together." She stepped out of her seat and walked over beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Her voice taking a soft and nurturing tone as she went to speak. "You're a good man. I couldn't have picked someone who would love her more than you do, but you have to stop letting your fears hold you back. Both of you do. She's your best friend, you're her best friend. Talk to her."

()()()

The conversation with her mother played over in his head as he made his way back to her bedroom. He knew that she was right. He knew he had to talk to her. He knew it needed to happen sooner rather than later. The thought of how he was feeling hurting her broke his heart though. The thought of her hating him for it broke his heart. He got the idea from what her mother just said she was already hurting, and he hadn't even realized it yet. Whatever was on her mind must have something to do with the mood she was in earlier. He wondered if her mom had sprung one of those heart to hearts on her too while he was at work.

He found himself feeling guilty that she'd been struggling with this too and he'd been so wrapped up in his own struggle with the situation that he hadn't taken the time to be there for her like he should. He'd promised her they'd deal with this together. He'd promised that they'd make it work. Yet, he hadn't even taken the time to realize how much all of this was affecting her too.

He quietly slipped back into her bedroom, making sure to close the door slowly so he wouldn't wake her. The room was dark, but the moon was peeking in through the blinds enough he could make out her frame in the bed. She was laying on her side. One pillow pressed over her head, while another was pressed tightly against her body. She hadn't been like that when he left the room and he assumed she'd gotten up at some point while he was gone. He was surprised she hadn't come looking for him. She always did if he got up in the middle of the night and didn't tell her where he was going. Sometimes he'd get calls about tows and she'd be so dead asleep she hadn't heard his phone go off. He'd always wake her before he left and tell her where he was going. He knew her and their history well enough not to go out of the house in the middle of the night without telling her where he was going.

As he carefully peeled the covers back and slid in bed beside her that night he made up his mind that he would talk to her as soon as her parents left. No matter how hard it was, no matter how bad it hurt, he had to be honest with her. He wanted her to know she could be honest with him too. He just hoped like hell that he didn't lose her.

()()()

After she'd heard the conversation he had with her mom late last night she'd retreated to her room and cried herself to sleep. She had shoved the pillow over her head so no one else would be able to hear her. She broke down completely once she'd reached her bedroom. It hadn't been lost on her that he was struggling with this. She knew it was hurting him, but hearing him use the word hate and her unborn child in the same sentence, well it had crushed her. To be honest, it had also infuriated her too. An internal, almost mama bear like, instinct was awoken from deep inside her. This child was an innocent being. One that didn't ask to exist or be here or brought into this situation. If he wanted to be pissed at anyone he should be pissed at her, be pissed at Ed, but not at her baby. She didn't think it made any sense at all to hate an innocent child. One she already felt like she was slighting by it coming into the world where it wouldn't have a relationship with its father. That was going to be hard enough, but having a step-father who resented the hell out of it, who hated it, she couldn't make the child live in an environment like that. She loved him, she loved him so damn much, and up until now she'd thought she loved him more than anything in the world, but she realized that as a mother, her child had to come first. It had to be the center of her world, the most important thing in her world.

She woke up the next morning and he was still asleep beside her. Part of her wanted to wake him of up and have it out with him right then and there. The rationale side of her told her that her parents were here and that they didn't need to be arguing like that in front of them. She didn't want a repeat of Glenn and Maggie's where people over heard the things said between them. She didn't want them screaming at each other and her parents to hear that, because she knew that when everything was said and done hurtful things were going to spew out from both side. So, she left him in bed asleep and she went in the bathroom and started to shower and get ready for her doctor's appointment.

()()()

He woke up and noticed she wasn't beside him, but saw the bathroom light on and could hear her fiddling around in there. He pushed himself up in bed, stretching and letting out a yawn. He heard the click of the door and looked over as she emerged from the bathroom wearing only a towel. "You feeling better this morning?" He sleepily asked her.

She scowled at him and didn't answer, walking over to her closet and rummaging for something to wear.

He raised an eyebrow, quickly taking note of the fact that she was clearly pissed about something. What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She replied, sadness and anger clear in her tone.

He hopped out of bed and headed towards her. "Hey, tell me what's wrong." He said softly, as he reached for her arm.

She jerked away from him and she felt her heart rate go up and her breathing quicken. She felt like she was going to explode, but she gritted her teeth and quickly composed herself. "Daryl, leave me alone right now. The best thing for you to do is to go home and then go to work."

He jumped back when he felt her jerk away. He felt like a wounded animal. She hadn't responded that way to his touch since the first night he ran into her again. "I ain't going nowhere till you tell me what the hell's going on." He demanded. "And we got your doctor's appointment in a few hours. You know I'm going to work late today."

"No, we don't have my doctor's appointment, I do." She hissed. "It's not your baby. It's not your appointment. You don't wanna be there and I don't want you there."

He swallowed hard. Each angry word piercing him and making his chest ache. He didn't have any clue where the hell all of this was coming from. He went to reach out to her again, but he saw her flinch back. "I wanna be there for you." He told her, tenderly. "And I wanna know why you're so damn mad at me. I didn't do anything."

"That's great, Daryl. It's just fucking great you wanna be there for me, but I don't need you. So, go. I don't want you at my appointment and I don't want you here at my house. Just leave." She barked, pointing towards the door.

He reached out and grabbed her hand and when she tried to snatch away from him he kept a firm grip around her wrist. Not tight enough where he was hurting her, but tight enough to make her look up and meet his eyes. As she did he saw her eyes growing watery and he felt himself fill with emotion. "Carol, stop. Just stop. Please? I need you to tell me what I did, because I ain't got a damn clue. Whatever the hell it is, I'm sorry. Okay, I'm sorry. Just, talk to me, please."

She shook her head and bit her bottom lip. She tried to look down, but she felt his hand reach out and cup her chin, bringing her eyes back level with his. "You hate my baby." She finally managed, not hiding the tear in her voice.

He involuntarily felt his grip around her wrist loosen until it was free from his hand and then he felt his chin hit his chest as his head fell. "You heard me talking to your mom last night." He mumbled.

"Yeah, I did." She folded her arms over her chest. The tearful sound leaving her voice and being replaced with an angry one. You're pissed off, and you're obviously not happy in this situation, and you hate my unborn child."

"I didn't say I hated your baby." He tried to defend himself, because he didn't say that. He said he was scared he was going to, but he never said he hated it.

"I was standing right there, Daryl. I heard what you said." She snapped.

"Carol, that ain't how I said it."

She shook her head and walked over to her bedroom door, slowly opening it. "I'm not going to say it again, Daryl, leave." She motioned towards the door. "You don't have to come to my appointments. You don't have to sit here and be miserable all the damn time anymore. You don't have to have sex with me to make me feel better when you really don't wanna touch me. I don't want you here and I damn sure don't need you here. "

Each word that left her mouth broke his heart into tinier and tinier pieces. He looked back at her, wanting to tell her he loved her more than anything in the world and he couldn't lose her. He wanted to explain that he didn't hate this kid, but in truth he was scared he might. He was scared of ending up like his old man. And if he told her all of that it would probably only make things worse. He hung his head and slowly made his way to the door. He looked back at her once he reached the door, a tightness in his chest forming at the thought of never seeing her again. He felt tears form in the corner of his eyes. "I love you." He managed, barely above whisper, as he took a deep breath and walked away.


	53. Chapter 53

**(Thanks for reading & reviewing!)**

He'd probably been doing at least 20 miles per hour over the speed limit on the entire way back to his house that morning. When he got there stomped up the steps leading to his front door, shoved the key in the lock, and slammed the door hard enough after stepping inside that it shook the house. He ran his hands through his shaggy hair and sighed deeply. He could still feel the chill bumps on his arm from the ride over from Carol's. He'd only been wearing the tank top he had put on last night when he was talking to her mom and a pair of pajama bottoms, and it was a chilly morning in early February. He was fucking freezing right now. Things had escalated so quickly this morning. He hadn't even had time to process what the hell was going on, let alone think to grab his jacket or put a real shirt on.

"What the fuck you down here making all that noise for?" Merle barked as he poked his head out from the stair case. "I thought you and Carol had one of them baby doctor appointment things this morning anyway?"

"Yeah, we did." He growled.

"Well what the hell are you doing here then?" He wondered aloud as he made his way down the stairs and into the living room.

"She told me to get the hell out of her house and that she didn't want me there." He replied, slinging his arms.

Merle raised an eyebrow and stopped in place. "What the hell did you, damn it?"

He let his eyes sink to the floor and he swallowed hard. "She thinks I hate her baby."

"Tell me you didn't fucking tell her that?" He barked. "You don't tell the woman you're gonna marry that you hate her kid."

"I didn't say that, damn it. I didn't tell her nothing. I couldn't sleep last night and her mama was up. She wanted to make me some hot chocolate and she got to asking me stuff about the baby. How I really felt. I didn't tell her nothing I ain't told you. That I am scared I'm gonna hate the kid, I am scared I'm gonna resent it and end up like…..like him. I didn't say that I did hate it though, but Carol fucking woke up and overheard us talking and I guess all she damn heard was hate and her baby in the same sentence and she won't even let me try and explain what I meant. She told me to go. Said she don't want me around no more and that she don't need me."

"And that's it? You just left? You're just giving up?" Merle replied, agitation showing in his voice and on his face.

He looked up then, locking his gaze on Merle's and shaking his head, a resoluteness showing in his blue eyes. "Hell nah, I ain't giving up. Not talking about important shit to each other has always been our biggest damn problem. That ain't happening again. I'mma say what I need to say. Gonna do what I need to do."

()()()

Carol's dad entered the kitchen just as she was pouring herself a bowl of milk and cereal. "No big breakfast this morning?" He asked, taking a seat beside her.

"Didn't feel up to cooking this morning." She replied, quietly.

"Tell Daryl I said to get his ass in here and to whip something up for you." He laughed.

"He's not here." She said, as she aimlessly swirled her spoon around in her bowl.

He quirked an eyebrow. "I thought he was going with us to the doctor."

"I told him to go home and get ready for work." She didn't feel like getting into all of the details with her dad right now. Especially when she would have to leave for her appointment in less than an hour.

"He didn't wanna go?" He asked, curiously.

She scoffed. "Yeah, daddy. He just couldn't wait to go see the baby. You know, the one that isn't his? The one that belongs to a man I'm pretty sure he fantasizes about killing on a daily basis. Those appointments are his favorite part of the month"

"Did you two have a fight this morning?" He asked, his tone growing stern and serious.

She propped her elbows on the table and placed her head in her hands. "Look, I told him not to come. Okay? I know he'd rather not be there and I'm tired of him doing things just because he thinks it's what I'd want him to do. If they aren't genuine….if he hates this baby….then it doesn't mean a damn thing."

Her dad looked at her sympathetically and reached out and touched her arm. "He does what he thinks you'd want him to do because he loves you and I don't hardly think that he..."

She exhaled deeply. "Daddy, I'm done talking this right now. I can't. I just can't right now. I wanna focus on my appointment today and seeing how the baby is."

()()()

"Will your extremely quit and slightly intimidating fiancé be joining us today?" Eugene asked Carol with a smirk, after he introduced himself to her parents and asked her how routine questions about how things with the pregnancy had been going.

"No." She replied, flatly. Not offering even the slightest sign of amusement at his words.

He quickly cleared his throat and ran his hand across the bottom of his chin, sensing an unpleasant mood from the mother to be. "I just didn't know if he was running late again and didn't wanna start the show without him."

She motioned over her belly. "By all means, go ahead."

He nodded and stepped to the side of the room to get everything he needed. Just as he was about to walk back over to her he stopped and popped his head up when he heard a knock at the door and a female call out his name. "Give me just a sec." He offered apologetically and held a finger up.

"No problem, take your time." Carol's mother told him with a smile.

Carol wasn't in as patient of a mood this morning and just rolled her eyes as he stepped outside the door.

()()()

Once Eugene was outside the door he was surprised to find that the nurse had two men in tow with her. One being the aforementioned quiet and slightly intimidating fiancé. He quirked an eyebrow at the young man and looked back and forth between him, his companion, and the nurse.

"Sorry to bother you." The young woman said. "But he said that his fiancé had an appointment right now and he wanted to be here. I remembered him from last time and know he's engaged to Carol."

He nodded. "I didn't think you'd be joining us today, but you can come on back. Who's this?" He asked, motioning towards the also slightly intimidating man with Daryl who currently had his arms crossed over his chest and his icy blue eyes trained on him."

"My bro.." Daryl went to mumble out, but was interrupted.

"I'm the uncle." He chimed in, a mischievous grin spread from ear to ear and he offered the doctor a hand shake. "Nice mullet by the way." He snickered.

()()()

Eugene slowly opened the door and made his way back in the room with Daryl and Merle behind him. "I didn't realize we'd be having a family reunion in here today." He muttered, taking notice of the limited amount of space in the room. "Most people don't usually bring this many people until we let them know what they are having." He shrugged. "Who knows though? You're far enough along now we might could tell today if the baby is turned right."

Carol hadn't really registered what Eugene was saying at the moment. She was too busy keeping her eyes locked on Daryl who was standing beside the door. He had his hands shoved awkwardly in his pockets and for a brief moment he met her gaze, but then he let his eyes fall to the floor. She then let her gaze sweep over to Merle, who was craning his neck hard to look at a diagram on the wall about the inside of a uterus. She wondered what the hell both of them were up to and why Merle was here too and who was running the shop.

The tension in the room was high as Eugene did all of the routine things like checking her blood pressure, drawing blood and even measuring her belly. Glances were constantly being stolen between Daryl and Carol, Merle and Carol, her mom and Daryl and her dad and everyone in the room. Eugene even kept awkwardly meeting the eyes of all the occupants in the room.

"Boy, birthday parties in this household are sure gonna be a blast." He tried to joke and break the tension, as he reached for the transducer so he could perform an ultrasound to check on the baby.

Daryl scowled at the man and folded his arms across his chest. "Do you just say the first damn thing that pops into your head all the time?"

He looked thoughtful for a moment before answering then nodded. "Most of the time, yeah. Anyway, let's check on this little one and maybe we'll get lucky and see what you're having while we have an audience."

Just like she did last time, Carol flinched as he spread the jelly over her stomach and she felt the slight pressure of the wand being wafted back and forth. She looked over at Daryl who was still standing against the door and noticed that he took a step towards her when she flinched, but he stopped himself from moving towards her. She felt her mom link hands with her and her dad place his hand on her shoulder as the image of her baby appeared on the screen and the strong sound of the heartbeat flooded the room. A grin swept her face at getting to see her child again and hearing its heartbeat.

"Look at my grandbaby." Her mother beamed.

Her father stood beside her, a huge smile appearing on his face.

Merle looked over at Carol, offering her a small smile and a nod.

Daryl kept flicking his eyes between the screen and Carol, all the while chewing at his bottom lip.

Eugene felt like some of the tension ease out of the room and it made him feel more relaxed. He let a smile turn up at the corner of his own lips as he looked at the screen, though the quiet fiancé still made him slightly nervous. "I guess it's a good thing that you brought an audience today, we've got some news to share."

Carol raised an eyebrow. "I swear to God if you tell me I'm having twins.."

He let out a laugh. "That's a negative right there ma'am. There is just one active completely healthy baby girl in this oven."

"A girl? It's a girl? I'm having a girl? She said emotionally as she looked from Eugene to her parents and then over at Daryl and Merle. "I'm gonna have a daughter?"

Merle looked over at Daryl, who had an unreadable expression on his face. His mouth was slightly gaping and his eyes were fixed on the screen. He nudged his brother's shoulder gently and nodded towards to Carol who had the hugest smile on her face and had tears of happiness forming in her eyes and her parents were hugging her, lost in emotions of their own. Merle took a few steps towards Carol, pulling her in for an embrace and placing a kiss on her cheek. "Congratulations, darling. Let me know if you need me to whoop someone's ass over her one day."

She gripped her arms tightly around Merle's neck and placed a kiss back on his cheek. "Thank you and thank you for being on good behavior in here and not saying anything too, well, Merle like." She laughed.

"I'm saving that for later." He smirked as he eyed a metal device on the table. "Say, do they stick that up.."

"Merle." She scolded.

He threw his hands up and stepped away. "Right, later."

Daryl was still standing by the door. He'd now moved his gaze from the screen to his brother and the woman he loved. He chewed the side of his thumb nervously. He forced his feet to take a few shaky steps towards her once he saw Merle pull away from her. He saw her watching him as he inched closer and closer towards her. She had a guarded look on her face. As he finally approached her he let his thumb drop from the corner of his lips. "It's a little girl." He managed.

"Yeah." She nodded. A small smile still lining the edge of her lips. "A little girl."

He nodded back, fiddling his hands nervously as he kept his eyes locked on hers. He took a deep breath and quickly bent down, placing one hand on the side of her face and pressing a quick kiss to her lips. He felt her tense up, but he didn't pull away just yet. He let his lips linger for a moment and when he pulled away he whispered in her ear. "Congratulations. I know she'll be beautiful, just like you."

Eugene went to hand Carol a copy of her sonogram picture. As he did he gave her a smile. "Congratulations on it being a girl, mom." He turned to Daryl and went to hand him a copy of the pictures. "Congratulations, dad. And might I add that you're going to scare the shit out of whatever boy she brings home one day."

 **(I know this is so slow right now, but it's going to speed up again soon, I promise. I originally had something different planned for this chapter, but this is where my head took me tonight.**


	54. Chapter 54

She set up her next appointment after the doctor had given her the sonogram picture. She shared a long awkward glance with Daryl as she and her parents went out the door and headed towards her car. She'd found herself touched by his reaction at finding out she was having a daughter, yet she was still angry with him about the conversation he'd had with her mother last night. It had killed her to tell him to leave that morning. It hurt like hell to force herself to say she didn't want him, that she didn't need him. Then when he'd told her he loved her as he walked out the door she'd felt her own heart shatter. She knew he did. She wouldn't ever doubt that. She loved him too, but she had to do what was right for this baby. She felt like it was what was right for him in the long run, too. He wasn't happy. He deserved to be happy. She sighed as she approached the driver's side of her car and clicked the unlock button on her key. As she reached for the handle she heard his voice call out to her and turned her head.

"Hey, can we talk?" He asked loudly, jogging towards her and slowing his pace the closer he got to her.

She let her hand fall from the door handle and met his eyes. "Not right now, Daryl. I've got to take them home." She nodded her head towards her parents who were on the passenger side.

"Please?" He begged, desperation clear in his eyes and in his voice. "Merle can take them home."

She just shook her head solemnly. Her eyes growing sad and she feared her voice would become too emotional if she tried to speak.

He stood in place glancing over at her parents who were watching them intently. "I really wanna talk to you." He insisted, moving his gaze back to her.

She bit her bottom lip hard and shook her head again. "I don't wanna talk. Just go to work, Daryl." She told him firmly, as she opened her car door and went to slide inside.

He went to argue, but her dad met his eyes then and gave him a look. He closed his mouth and gave the older man a nod and headed to where Merle was waiting at in his truck.

()()()

She and her parents went to Lori's café and grabbed a quick lunch. It had been an awkward and exhausting lunch filled with them asking questions about what was going on with her and Daryl. She didn't feel like talking about it and to be honest she was slightly annoyed with her mother for getting in their business. She wished she hadn't heard him say that. She had her doubts about this working in the long run before she heard him say that, but she'd wanted to spend as much time with him as possible beforehand if it didn't work out.

When they'd gotten back to her place her parents had mentioned going to see Rick's parents while they were in town. She found herself thankful that she was going to have a little time alone after how her morning had gone. She'd gone to her bedroom and plopped down on her bed, leaning back against the headboard. She looked her sonogram picture over again, another smile sweeping across her face at the sight of her unborn daughter. It was so surreal to think she'd have a child in five months, a little girl of her own. She'd only just found out about this a month ago and it seemed like everything was happening so fast. Almost as soon as she'd found out she'd slowly started putting on more and more weight. Now her baby bump was almost unmistakable. She placed one hand on her stomach as she clung to the photo with her other. "I want you to know how much I love you already and how sorry I am for how things are gonna be. I wish you would have a dad like my dad to be there for you." She paused and swallowed hard, noticing the engagement ring on her finger as she looked at the photo. "I wish Daryl was your dad. If things were different…if he was….you wouldn't have been able to ask for a better dad. He'd have loved you so much." She paused again and had to suppress a tear. "He was gonna be your step-dad, but this was really had for him and I guess things aren't gonna work out that way. It's not your fault though, mommy was just a dumbass and your real dad is an asshole." She shook her head, removing her hand from her belly and sitting the picture on the bed. She started twisting at the ring on her left hand. "It's not his fault either. He didn't know what he was getting into."

"You said you wasn't gonna take it off."

She felt herself jump at the sound of his voice and shot her head over to the frame of her door. He was leaned against it, arms folded across his chest, a sad look in his piercing blue eyes. "What the hell are you doing here?" She snapped. "How the hell did you get in here?"

"You gave me a key." He replied, lowly, as he leaned up and took a step inside the room. "And I'm here because I wanna talk to you."

She narrowed her eyes on him. "I told you I didn't wanna talk to you right now. You can't just walk up in my house like that. How much of that did you hear anyway?" She barked, suddenly feeling like her privacy had been extremely invaded.

He shrugged, inching closer and closer to the bed. "I don't wanna talk about all this either. Hell, it's why I ain't ever brought it up before. I ain't going through this again, though. I ain't avoiding you for the next six years and running into you and this kid somewhere and all of a sudden deciding then is the time to start fixing things that we could have fixed now. I'm gonna say how I feel, just like I shoulda done from the get go. You need to tell me what the hell you're feeling too. We're supposed to be best friends. I mean, we're fucking engaged, Carol."

"I know how you feel, Daryl." She hissed and pointed at her belly. "You hate her and you're not happy."

He sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "I didn't say that I hated her."

"Yes you did, I heard you."

"Damn it! No I didn't. That ain't what I said!" He yelled. He saw her face fall and her body stiffen and he immediately felt guilty. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you, I just want you to hear me out. You're so pissed off you won't even listen to what I have to say." He walked closer towards the bed and slid in on the other side. He felt the bed shift as she scooted further away from him. "Will you please just listen to me?" He asked, softly.

She didn't answer, but locked eyes with him and offered a small nod before gripping a pillow tightly to her chest and looking down.

He took a deep breath, almost unsure of where to begin. "You said I ain't happy. Well, I can't look you in the eye and tell you that ain't true. This whole situation, it ain't what I woulda wanted. Not like this." He looked over at her and saw her eyes start to water. He swallowed and reached down, purposefully placing a shaky hand on her belly. "I wouldn't have been ready for her if she was mine, not really. Not right now anyway, maybe not ever. But you're pregnant and I can't change that and since you are, I do wish she was mine. I know this is your baby. Your first child. I know you're excited about her. I ain't mad at you for that. I ain't mad you for being pregnant. I ain't mad at her for existing. I'm pissed because it wasn't supposed to happen this way. I'm pissed because I want that baby to be half me, not half of that lousy ass bastard. I'm pissed because that sorry mother fucker doesn't even deserve to be able to have kids. Not with anyone, but sure as hell not with you." He growled, getting angry as he thought about him. "It does hurt knowing that you're carrying someone else's child. It hurts a lot. I can't pretend it don't, but what hurts more is the idea of not ever seeing you again, not talking to you, not being here if you need me. I asked you to marry me. I told you that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you and I meant it. This didn't change that." He moved his hand around, which was still clutching her belly. "She doesn't change that….but that don't mean that I ain't scared as hell about what the future holds." He noticed her eyes meet his and he paused briefly, letting an uneasy silence fill the room. "I didn't say I hated her." He finally began. "But I did say I was scared I was going to. I'm scared one I see her that I'll resent her, be angry with her. I'm scared I'll…..that I'll be like him." He choked out. "I mean fuck, he beat the shit out of me and he made me. I can't imagine the shit he would've done if I wasn't his. What if…..what if I'm like him? What if I….what if I start to…..treat you that way." He let his head drop and his chin hit his chest. He slowly removed his hand from her belly. He felt emotionally drained after that speech, but it needed to be said. He'd needed to say it for a long time.

As he pulled his hand away she felt a slight flutter in her stomach. It was almost like feeling butterflies in your stomach. She tensed slightly, wondering if that was baby moving for the first time or if her nerves were just shot from everything going on. She gently placed her hand on her stomach and pressed slightly seeing if she could get a repeat. Nothing happened, so she shifted her attention back to the situation at hand. She reached out and placed a hand over one of Daryl's. "I've never been scared of you hurting me. Not once. I've never been scared of you hurting the baby either." She told him, tenderly, placing a hand on the side of his face and turning him so their eyes could meet. "You're not that person. You never have been and you never will be. You're not your father. You're nothing like him, Daryl Dixon."

"He wasn't always like that." He countered. "Not until mama..."

She shook her head. "Before, did you ever hear him tell you he loved you? Did you ever see him hug your mama and tell her that he loved her? Did he still talk down to you? To Merle? To her? Tell you that you were worthless, even when you were a little kid?"

"But he didn't put a hand on me until after." He argued. "Because he was mad she was gone, because I reminded him of her."

She pulled his face down to hers and pressed her forehead against his. "No. That's who he's always been. Maybe she just protected you from the other stuff. That's not who you are. I know you, that's just not you."

He sucked in a deep breath and tugged at his lower lip. "I heard what you said…about wishing she was mine. About thinking I'd have been a good dad. Do you really think that?"

"Oh my God, yes." She snorted. "Especially with a little girl."

He swallowed hard and gripped her hand back tightly. "What are you scared of? What have you not been telling me?"

"Everything." She replied, letting out a nervous laugh.

"Tell me." He prodded.

She shrugged. "I'm scared of screwing up as a parent. I'm scared my daughter hating me because she doesn't have a father. I'm scared of giving birth. I'm scared of what people are gonna say when they know this baby isn't yours. I'm scared that Ed will find out and come for her. I'm scared of this being too much on you. That you….wouldn't be able to love her. That it would hurt too much and you…you would just leave one night….without a word." She hesitantly confessed.

"Hey." He said, softly, cupping her chin. "You ain't gonna screw up as a parent. You're gonna be a great mama and this kid's lucky as hell to have you. She'll thank you one day for keeping her away from him. I promise."

"You don't know that." She argued.

"Yeah, I do. Trust me, she's gonna love the hell out of you. Who wouldn't?" He saw a small smile flare at the edge of her lips and it made him the corner of his own lips turn up before he got serious. "And if that son bitch ever comes near you, ever comes near her, I will beat the mother fucker within an inch of his life. I wouldn't ever let him hurt you again. I wouldn't let him hurt your kid. I wouldn't let anybody. You should know that." He pulled her into him and let her head fall on his shoulder. "Same goes for anyone in this town that says something to you. It ain't none of their damn business and I'll them that real quick. Fuck what they think."

"Easy for you to say. You're not gonna be labeled the town whore." She snorted. "And I know you love me and you're always there to protect me. I've never doubted that. I just…the baby."

He nodded. "You're scared I won't love it, just like I been scared of that."

"But not that you'd ever hurt it." She clarified.

"You know, in that room today, when that weird ass mullet doctor said it was a little girl….I kept having all these images pop in my head of you as a little kid. I remembered the way you used to have your hair braided, or how you'd rough house with me and Rick. All those smart ass sassy comments you'd make to us. How you used to always have to have a glass of yoohoo with a straw and some fruit gushers when we'd get off the bus at your house…..All I could think of for a minute was that there was this little version of you in there. It was the first time I really thought about the baby without thinking about him….and that didn't really hurt as much."

She ran a hand over her belly. "Yeah, when I heard the heart beat the first time that's when I was able to separate who she was from him. I thought I'd resent her too before that, and she's my own child." She shamefully confessed. "You're not your father, and she's not hers."

"Yeah." He breathed out. "Listen, I can't tell you that I'm gonna be excited about this the same way you are. I can't tell you that I'm not gonna have hard days when this hurts and I'm quiet or just not in a good mood. But I wanna be here. I wanna make this work. You might not need me, but I sure as hell need you. I always have and I'm never not going to."

She picked her head up, casting her blue eyes on his. "I didn't mean that. I was just mad. I do want you here….I do need you."

He shook his head. "Nah, you might want me here, but you've never needed me. You can take care of yourself. You've always been able to do that."

"I've always needed you, I just never let you know it."

He placed a kiss on her forehead. "I love you, you know that? And I never would have left you without a word. Not again. I wasn't planning on leaving again ever. You said you weren't taking that ring off and I'm holding you too it. I'm gonna marry you one day…..well, if you still wanna marry me."

She bit her bottom lip. "I love you too and of course I do….but if we do….I need you to be here for the baby too. I don't need you to let her call you daddy, I don't need you to buy half her stuff, I don't need you to get up with her in the middle of the night, but I need you to protect her the same way you'd protect me. I need you to love her because she's a part of me. Maybe not the same way I love her, but I still need you to have a love for her."

"I'm still kinda scared." He confessed. "But she's yours…I can't hate part of you. I can be there for her. I'm not sure how good I'll be with a kid, but I can protect her. I can look out for her. I can have love for her because of how much I love you. How important you are to me."

"It's okay that you're still a little scared, because I am too." She latched her arms tightly around him.

He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips. She kissed him back slowly and he pulled her over on top of him so she was straddling his lap. He deepened the kiss and ran his hands under her shirt and up and down her back. "Never think I don't wanna touch you again." He replied, in a low gruff voice, moving his mouth to her neck.

She pulled his face back up to hers and pressed her lips to his. She felt herself smiling with each kiss.

He broke the kiss and stopped to look her in the eyes. "I got something for you."

She raised an eyebrow. "Can it wait?"

He shook his head. "I'll just be a second." He replied, slowly sliding her off of him and stepping into the hallway.

She waited very impatiently as she watched him step right outside the hallway and grab something off of the trunk she had sitting at the end of the hall. She shot an eyebrow up again when he brought in a white box.

"Here." He said, holding the box out to her and running a hand across the back of his neck.

She took the box from him. She slowly pulled the top back to reveal a tiny pink dress with frills. One like Lori had picked up when they were grocery shopping. "I….I….where….where did you get this?" She stammered, full of emotion.

"Down at the superstore. It looked like the one you told me Lori was holding when Dale walked up to you."

"It's just like it." She said, completely in shock. She just looked up at him. Her eyes lighting up and a huge grin etching her face again. She grabbed his shirt and snatched him back on the bed with her.

 **(This ended up super long! Hope you all enjoy!)**


	55. Chapter 55

**(Things will move forward a little bit after this chapter. Thanks for reading and reviewing.)**

She was leaning over him, repeatedly placing small kisses on his lips when he pulled himself back slightly. He looked up at her and smirked. "Are you ever gonna let me go to work today?"

She just shook her head, smirking back at him and then and let her lips meet his again. "I don't want you to go." She replied, lazily.

"Yeah, me either, but I gotta. We were closed this morning for your appointment and Merle's been there ever since it was over by himself. He's gonna skin my ass alive if I don't get back."

"Fine." She sighed, dramatically. She let out a little laugh as she rolled over on her side, propping her head up with one hand and meeting his eyes. "Why did Merle come with you this morning?" She wondered aloud.

"Partly because he was hoping to get to see parts of you naked. He really likes how big your boobs are getting." He reached out and gave one a gentle squeeze, laughing as he watched her mouth gape open and then crying out as she playfully smacked him upside the head.

"Your brother is such a pervert." She scowled. "Him seeing me naked that night he snatched the blanket off of us was one time too many."

"Yeah, he's an immature asshole sometimes." He agreed, then he let his voice get softer and serious. "That ain't the only reason he wanted to come, though. He wanted you to know he's here for you….and the baby. He said your family and he said…..well he said that makes the baby family too."

"He really said that?" She asked in disbelief. She felt extremely touched that Merle of all people would have said something like that. To know how much he really was here supporting her, supporting her child, trying to support her relationship with Daryl through all of this. It meant everything to her.

He nodded and grabbed her hand in his, running his index finger over her engagement ring. "I told you a long time ago, my brother loves the hell out of you."

She smiled. "I love him, too. Every weird, inappropriate part of him."

"Remember that next time he sees you and he tries to touch your boobs." She went to playfully pop him again, but he grabbed her hand and pulled her in for a quick kiss instead. After a brief moment he pulled away and reached over the bed and grabbed his shirt, slipping it on over his head. "I really gotta get to work. I'll be back this evening, okay?"

"You better be."

"Yes ma'am." He replied, gruffly.

She threw the covers off of her and leaned over the bed to grab her own clothes. When she looked up again a thought crossed her mind. "Hey, Daryl?"

"Hmm?" He looked over at her as he was sliding his pants on.

She shot him her best set of puppy dog eyes. "When you come back tonight can you bring me something?"

He cocked an eyebrow. "Depends. How expensive is it gonna be?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "Shut up. Don't even act like I ever ask you to buy me expensive stuff. And this isn't expensive at all. I just want some yoohoo."

"Yoohoo? Like, the drink? Yeah, I'll bring you one."

"Can you bring me, like, six? Ever since you mentioned how I used to drink them earlier it's all I've been thinking about and I want one so damn bad now. Maybe it's some weird pregnancy thing, I don't know, but I just, I need a yoohoo, okay?"

He grinned and gave her a slight nod all the while laughing a little to himself inside. "Whatever you want, sweetheart." He kissed her cheek and headed for the door.

()()()

Her parents still stayed gone for a while after Daryl returned to work. She was at home alone now and she felt a huge sense of relief from finally talking about things. Having everything out in the open was such a breath of fresh air. It felt good to finally know what was going on inside of his head about this situation and to know he knew what she was thinking. It wasn't like she thought talking about it magically fixed this. She knew they were both still going to have their own struggles with this pregnancy and in the days after this baby came, but she felt a lot more confident about them being able to overcome those struggles now. Especially if they could continue to talk about the things that were bothering them in the future.

She was in the kitchen watching dishes about an hour after Daryl had gone to work when she heard the front door open. She looked over her shoulder and saw her parents walking inside. "Did you have a good time with Rick's parents?" She called out.

"We did." Her mom replied. "Patricia is so antsy about that wedding next month, though. You'd think Rick was the bride."

"Well, he's their only child." Carol pointed out. "This is the only wedding she's going to get to help throw."

"I know, I know. It just tickled me to hear her go on and on about caterers and flowers and music and hoping Lori doesn't get cold feet."

Carol rolled her eyes as she cleaned a plate. "They've been together almost ten years. I don't see that happening."

"I always kinda thought her and Rick wouldn't work and she'd end up with Shane." Her dad chimed in.

"Daddy, Shane's one of Rick's best friends."

"Just something about how the boy looked at her always seemed off to me." Her father said, as he left the kitchen and headed towards the back of the house.

She didn't even respond to that. She never really thought anything of it either, but her dads words made her recall something Daryl said in high school about Shane watching Lori like he wanted to go hump her leg and that if he was Rick he wouldn't leave him alone with her. She'd scolded him and told him not to be mean. Daryl and Shane were friends, but they always had this weird competition thing going on and she'd just figured Shane had done something that day to get on his nerves.

"You seem to be in a better mood this afternoon." Her mom pointed out, as she reached into the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water.

She rinsed the final dish and grabbed some paper towels to dry her hands with. "I am. Daryl stopped by and we talked and…just…thanks, mom." She smiled.

Her mom smiled back. "You're welcome, baby girl. I know you probably think I was getting in your business and I had no right too, but I could tell after our talk that you still weren't going to talk to him and it needed to happen."

"I know it did. It was long overdue."

"Are the two of you okay now?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I think we're pretty good right now. I mean, I know things aren't perfect and we still have a long road with all of this, but I've got a lot more hope now."

"I'm really happy to hear that. I think a lot of him, probably more than he knows. I've got a lot of faith for how this is going to play out for the three of you."

"Let me show you what he brought for her when he came over." Carol beamed.

()()()

Carol was sipping on one of the yoohoo's Daryl brought back for her that night before they were about to go to bed. "I can't believe this is the third one of these I drank tonight."

"I can't believe you ain't pissed your pants yet from drinking three of them back to back." He replied, hopping in the bed and grabbing the remote to turn her TV on.

"Oh, I've gotta pee, bad. I'm just gonna make myself finish this one first." She looked over and saw him smirking at her. "God, I bet you think I'm a total fatty."

"Nah."

"What's that look for then?" She asked, raising an eyebrow as she downed the last little bit.

"Nothing." He insisted, still smirking at her.

"Tell me."

He shrugged. "It really ain't nothing. I just haven't seen you drink a damn yoohoo since you was twelve and tonight you downed half the damn pack. I was just thinking…..that she…must already be a lot….a lot like you." He said, quietly.

Before she could respond to what he'd just said she heard a knock on her door. "Come in." She called out.

Her dad pulled the door back slightly and poked his head in. "I know you two are getting ready for bed, but the fire is getting low. I was wondering if Daryl could help me get some wood in."

Daryl nodded at him and slid out of bed. He was surprised to hear that the fire had burned down so fast, he thought he'd had enough logs for it to burn most of the night. As he walked towards the den her dad stopped in front of him and took a seat in front of the fireplace, which was actually still burning just fine.

"Have a seat, son." Her dad told him.

He nervously took a seat beside the older man, sliding his hands up and down the leg of his sweats as he wondered what the hell this was about.

"The two of you alright now?" He asked Daryl. "Things seemed really off between you earlier."

"Oh, yes sir. Things are okay now. We uh, we just needed to talk about some stuff we both been avoiding."

"About the baby?" He pondered.

"Yeah. About the baby." Daryl nodded, replying lowly.

Her father nodded back knowingly. "You know, I was forty-one when we found out my wife was pregnant. We'd wanted a baby for a long time before we even found out about her being pregnant. I still somehow found myself scared as hell at the thought of being a father. My own old man wasn't exactly a shining example of a husband or father. All of a sudden I found myself freaking out, wondering if I would end up just like him."

Daryl nervously started shaking his leg and cast his eyes on the fire and away from her dad.

"I don't know what you went through, son. Carol never told us your business, not even back then. As many times as you crawled through her bedroom window, I'm going to guess a lot of it wasn't good, though."

"Look, it is what it is." Daryl replied, gruffly. "Don't matter what happened back then." He didn't wanna talk about this. He loved her dad, but his past was something he only ever really talked about with Carol or Merle. He didn't like discussing it with other people.

"You're exactly right, it doesn't matter. I want you to remember that, too. No matter what, always remember that for me. Your past doesn't dictate your future and your family sure as hell doesn't determine the kinda husband or father you are."

He bit at his bottom lip. "I get what you're trying to say, but with all due respect, sir. I ain't a father."

"You're gonna be a step-father. You'll be the only father figure she knows. And in my honest opinion, you'll be a damn good one. Just remember what I said any time you get freaked out, okay?"

"Alright." He mumbled.

"I'm serious, Daryl. Remember that." He reiterated, as he stood up.

Daryl stood up to and met the older man's eyes. "I will Mr.."

"Stop with that Mr. shit. You've known me fourteen years and you're going to be my son in law. Just call me Bob and call her mom Linda."

He nodded, smirking slightly. "Yeah, I will, Bob."

Bob stuck his hand out and when Daryl went to shake it he pulled him in for a hug and patted his back hard. "Take care of my girl's son, both of them."


	56. Chapter 56

Carol was sitting in the back of Lori's café snacking on jalapeno poppers and drinking a sprite as she listened to hear friend frantically try and find a new caterer for the wedding. February was more than halfway over with now and Lori and Rick would be getting married near the end of March. Lori's mother and the catered had some words over the food choices and she'd gotten mad and quit last minute. To say Lori was a little stressed out about it was an understatement. Carol just looked on and bit into another jalapeno popper as she watched Lori run a hand through her long hair and scream about the price the person she was talking to had just named.

"Ugh." Lori groaned, as she walked over to where Carol was sitting and slammed her phone on the table after clicking the end button. "Planning this whole wedding has been stressful as hell. My mom thinks it's her second damn wedding or something and don't even get me started on Rick's mom. Between the two of them I think the only thing I've actually picked out myself was my dress and the color of the dresses you, Maggie, Andrea and Michonne will be wearing."

Carol took a sip of her sprite and gave Lori a sympathetic look. "Why don't you just tell them to back the hell off? This is your wedding and I'm assuming it's the only one you're planning on having. You have a right to do it your way."

"They keep reminding us that they are helping pay for this whenever I try and say that." Lori replied, flatly. "Whenever you and Daryl do this, just go to the courthouse. It will be so much easier."

She snorted. "I can see him being okay with that. Can you imagine him standing in front of all our family and friends, reciting vows, holding hands and kissing? He'd be shaking the whole time and his bottom lip would be gone by the time the preacher was finished talking."

Lori cracked a smile. "I can see him doing it if he's drunk." She took a sip of her own drink and stole one of Carol's jalapeno poppers. "So, have you guys talked about setting a date?"

She placed a hand on her belly and looked down. "I'm kinda concentrating on pushing this baby out of my vagina in about four and a half more months right now. We've been a little busy working through all of this." She shrugged. "Besides, when he asked me we never planned to get married right away. We've only technically been together two months now."

Lori nodded. "You guys seem to be doing okay, though. I mean, I know it was tough for a while, but you've both seemed happy the last few weeks."

"We are." She smiled. "Ever since we talked about things life has been so much easier. I don't feel like I have to hide talking about the baby anymore and when I mention something about her he doesn't seem to get upset often. In fact, I think her being a girl has kind of helped him a little bit. It's like he relates her more to me if that makes any sense at all. Not that he's ecstatic about the situation or anything, but he's been doing a lot better with it. He even knows all of my food cravings and he keeps me stocked up on yoohoo, poptarts, and buffalo ranch dorito's."

"Those smell like feet." She said, scrunching her face up in disgust.

"I know. I normally hate them. "She pointed at her stomach. "She loves them, though. Jalapeno poppers too. I normally hate hot peppers, but I can't get enough of these today. I swear, I'm gonna gain a hundred pounds before she gets here. You won't even want me being your bridesmaid next month. I'll pop straight out of my dress."

She rolled her eyes. "No you won't, you and my unborn niece will be beautiful. So, you better be there. I'm not having to adjust one more thing about this day, damn it."

"I wouldn't miss it." She assured Lori. "I'll be there, all two hundred pounds of me."

Lori rolled her eyes again and smirked. "Do you wanna hear an interesting rumor that I heard today? She asked, changing the subject.

She grimaced. "I don't know. Do I?" She assumed it had to do with the baby. She'd stopped trying to hide the pregnancy after she finally told her parents. She didn't wear baggy clothes in public anymore and she'd flat out told a few people. Jacquie, who she worked with had been one of the first people outside of her parents and friends circle she'd come clean too. Next was her boss. No one had asked who the father was yet. In fact, most people she told had assumed it was Daryl's and she hadn't exactly corrected them. He'd had people come up and ask him about her being pregnant too, and they'd told him congratulations when he confirmed it. He hadn't told anyone the baby wasn't his either. He was too private of a person to get into that complicated conversation with someone he didn't know well. She had been anticipating the day someone asked about the paternity, though. People were smart enough to figure out how far along she was by looking and had to know that linked right up with around the time she moved back or before.

Lori shrugged and proceeded to tell her anyway. "Old lady Cranston, you know the one who has like 80 cats?

Carol nodded and titled her head slightly.

"Well, she told my mom that she heard that you were pregnant and that it was Rick's baby."

"What!" She screamed.

"Yep." She nodded, stifling a laugh. "She said it's a shame and I never should have let you move in with us and let that happen right under my nose."

"Oy my God." She groaned, letting her head fall into her hands. "I didn't even think about people thinking that. I'm officially the town whore. I'm the town whore who is pregnant by my best friend's fiancé." Her eyes suddenly grew wide as she let a thought cross her mind. "Does your mother think she is telling the truth?"

She shook her head, unable to stifle her laugh any longer. "Not at all. You know my mom thinks Rick is perfect and she loves you to death. She said she told the old bitch to mind her own business and that you were engaged to that Dixon boy and that if it was anyone's baby it was his."

She bit her lower lip and picked her head up. "Did you tell her it wasn't his?"

"No. I didn't. I was too shocked my mother said the word bitch to say anything."

()()()

Daryl found himself not busy for the first time in a long time this Saturday and he and Merle made plans to go to a bike shop up near Atlanta. The guy who owned it was the one who came into the shop a few weeks ago and asked Daryl to rebuild that old Harley. He'd planned on getting out there to see his bikes later that week, but he'd gotten so busy he hadn't found the time. He was excited about finally getting to go, though. He'd been looking forward to seeing this collection for the last few weeks. Merle came along with him because he was considering buying a bike of his own.

Daryl eagerly hopped out of the truck after Merle pulled to a stop in the front of the building that the address the man had given them had taken them to. He automatically knew they were in the right place when they reached the destination. It was a building with large glass windows in the front and you could see a long line of old bikes inside. He felt like he was in heaven.

"It's about damn time you two finally made it here." A large black man with a deep voice said, as he stepped out the front door of the building.

"What's going on Tyrese?" Daryl replied, extending his hand to the man.

"A whole lot of good my way. I just sold that bike you fixed up for me. The new owner loved it and I made a killing. "He smirked." I'll definitely be sending more your way. You did a hell of a job."

"Thanks, man." He nodded.

"So, you two gonna stand out here or come in and look around?" He asked, opening the door to let them in.

After a quick general tour, Merle took off towards one side of the store to look at a particular black and orange chopper that caught his eye and Daryl headed towards the other side of the store to look at a street bike that caught his eye. It was a Kawasaki Ninja and it appeared to be a newer bike. It was metallic blue and the bike was shiny and didn't have a single scratch on it. He bent down to check out the motor. When he stood up he went and took a seat on the bike to get a feel for it. He noticed a price tag hanging down and picked up to get a look. He let out a loud groan and his head fell, his chin hitting his chest.

"You like what you see?" Tyrese asked, as he stepped beside him.

He popped his head up as he heard Tyrese speak. "You kidding? I fucking love it. I was thinking about getting a street bike before I moved back down here. I just couldn't bring myself to sell my bike. I love it too much." He chuckled.

"Is it paid for?"

Daryl nodded. "Yeah, I paid it off about a year ago."

"As much money as you're probably making at that shop of yours, I'm sure you could afford a second bike." He suggested.

He picked up the price tag and sighed. "Shit, I wish. We're still paying for the building that we use for the shop and I just got engaged two months ago. Kinda paying on the ring, you know?"

Tyrese smirked and picked up the price tag. "Must be a hell of a ring. Did it cost this much?"

"It was about half that." He replied, honestly.

"Damn. She must be pretty special if you spent that much money on a ring." He joked.

"She is." He replied, matter of factly.

Tyrese nodded, but wasn't quite done trying to make the sale yet. "What I paid you to fix up that bike, it could help pay a lot of that ring off and get you a good down payment on this bad boy so your payments aren't so high."

"I wish I could, but I can't man."

"Come on, Daryl. You gave that special lady of yours a nice gift, get one for yourself. She can even go riding with you. "

"Like I said, I wish I could, but I got the ring to pay for, then whenever we get married I wanna let her have whatever kinda wedding she wants. "He looked the bike up and down and swallowed hard, knowing he'd like nothing more than to take it home today and he literally hated himself right now for telling this man no. "Plus, my fiancé is kinda pregnant. Ain't like she can ride it with me and I don't know where the hell a baby would go on here. I don't even know where the hell a baby is gonna go on the bike I got now….or in the car she has. It's two door and the back seat is small as hell. You ever tried to squeeze in the back of a damn Camaro? Then, there is the fact that kids are expensive as hell. Have you ever looked at what a damn pack of diapers costs? Or milk? I went and bought her a dress for the baby a few weeks ago when we found out what she was having and I passed by all that stuff. How the hell can shit for something so small cost so damn much?"

Tyrese got a thoughtful look on his face and his sly business like smirk turned into a genuine smile. "Congratulations man. I didn't know. Did you just find out?"

He shook his head and bit his bottom lip. "Found out New Year's Eve. It was a hell of a surprise to us both. She's four and a half months now." He looked back down at the bike and then back up at Tyrese. "It's a little girl."

He gave Daryl a slight nod. "My sister just had a little girl a few months ago. I love my niece to death."

He hummed and brought his thumb up to the side of his mouth. Fighting every urge he had inside of him not to cave and buy this damn bike.

Tyrese saw the look of contemplation on his face and he suddenly had a thought. "Why don't you come around back with me? I think I got something you might like?"

Daryl liked Tyrese, but he was growing frustrated as hell that he wasn't listening to him. "I told you." He growled.

"Just come take a look. I'm not gonna hound you to buy it. I just wanna show it to you."

Daryl reluctantly slid his right leg over the side of the bike and went to follow Tyrese. As he was walking away he shot one last glance towards the bike he'd been sitting on and groaned again.


	57. Chapter 57

(Well, at least if this ship never goes cannon, I always have fanfiction. I'm kind of left wondering if they are still even best friends anymore after not seeing them interact in almost an entire season. It's bumming me out big time. Sigh. Anyway, happy Saturday guys. It's a beautiful one on my end of the world and I'm going to chop this chapter out and head down the river for some nature therapy.)

"So?" Tyrese asked, with a grin. "Are you gonna take it or not?"

"You'd be a damn dumbass not to." Merle chimed in. "It's a hell of a deal."

Daryl tugged at his bottom lip and shifted back and forth. "That's all you want for it? And there ain't nothing wrong with it? I ain't gonna take it home and have no damn problems?"

"Nah, I wouldn't do you like that. It runs just fine, but even if something does tear up in the future you're a damn fine mechanic from what I've seen."

"Come on little brother, just do it. I don't feel like being here all damn day. I got plans to meet Andrea and take her for a ride on my new bike I'm getting."

Daryl let out a small nod and threw his hands up. "Fuck it. Let's go sign on off on the shit."

"You won't regret it, I promise." Tyrese replied, slapping Daryl on the back as the three of them strolled into his office to make the final sale.

()()()

Lori and Carol went back to Lori's house after leaving the café'. She was going to hang out with them until Daryl and Merle got back from that bike shop they went to. He'd invited her to go along, but she honestly felt like Daryl and Merle rarely go to do anything together just the two of them in a long time. There weren't many nights he wasn't at her house, or even if he was at his place, she usually ended up staying with him. When she wasn't there it seemed like Andrea was. She just felt like the brothers could use to a day together, just the two of them. Plus, she hadn't spent a lot of time with just Lori and Rick in a long time anyway and she knew her free time was about to get even more rare in the next few months.

As she followed Loir into the house once they arrived she was met by a smirking Rick in the living room. "What's so funny she asked?" Returning a smirk to him.

"Oh, nothing. It's just nice that my fiancé and my baby mama are both finally here."

She narrowed her eyes on him and groaned, before letting out a small laugh and eyeing him mischievously. "What can I say, it was too hard to resist you. Especially when you're in uniform, officer Grimes."

Rick walked up and threw an arm around her and placed a small kiss on top of her head while placing a hand on her stomach. "How's my unborn daughter?" He joked.

Lori narrowed her eyes on the two of them and just shook her head. "You're lucky I'm not the jealous type and I know you better than that or this could end with me shooting you both."

Carol chuckled slightly and fell onto the couch. Rick took a seat beside her and Lori stepped into the kitchen to put some leftovers from the café away. "So, can I tell my child that you're her father for real? I can say we had a moment of weakness, because you're so irresistible and all." She paused and looked up at him with a smirk before continuing. "Then we can just tell her you decided you really loved her aunt Lori and I didn't love you and we are better off as friends."

He shook his head, smirking back at her. "I don't think that'll work. What happens when I have a son one day and she finds herself unable to resist him and then she thinks she's weird for liking her own brother?"

"She won't ever like him if she thinks he's her brother." She countered.

"Us Grimes' men are irresistible. You said it yourself."

She rolled her eyes at him and then let her head fall on his shoulder. "I still love you, even if you won't pretend to be my child's father, even though half the town's gonna think you are anyway."

"Nah, they won't. They're gonna think you're fiancé is. Most people that know already do."

"I know. I've never told anyone he wasn't and he hasn't either. It just seems, I don't know, weird to say I guess."

"It's nobody's business." Rick pointed out. "Whatever you and Daryl decide to tell her is between the two of you."

"I don't even know what I'll say to her." She said, quietly. "Or when she'll be old enough to tell. How old do you think she'll be when she realizes it's weird that other kids call the man that lives with their mom dad and she calls the one that lives with hers Daryl?"

"I don't know." Rick replied, honestly. "But it will be okay whenever it does happen. She's gonna be so loved by everyone in her life it won't even matter that the sorry biological father is a sorry piece of shit. Especially by her favorite uncle.

"I think Glenn's gonna be a great uncle, too." She smirked

Rick cut his eyes at her and playfully shoved her off of his shoulder.

()()()

After getting back from Atlanta, Daryl went straight to Carol's house. He let himself inside and found her in the kitchen cooking something to eat. "How was your day?" He asked, as he walked up behind her and placed a small kiss on her cheek.

"It was good. I ate my weight in Jalapeno poppers and just hung around the house with Rick and Lori. Rick said you need to go get your suit for their wedding by the way." She reminded him.

He let out a groan. "After this I swear I'm only getting this damn dressed up one more time in my life."

"When's that?" She asked curiously.

"When I marry you." He replied, as if it should have been a no brainer.

He had still been standing behind when they were talking, but she took a break from stirring the pot of soup she had on the stove and whipped herself around to face him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and placed a quick kiss on his lips, when she pulled apart she just smiled at him. "How was your day?"

He let his hands slide to her lower back and titled his head. "It was good. Merle bought a new bike."

"I knew he wanted to get one. I'm glad he found one he liked. I was honestly expecting you to come home with a new toy." She laughed.

"Well…" He began, with a hint of nervousness in his tone.

She cocked an eyebrow at him. "Did you buy a new bike?"

"Come outside with me for a second." He told her, as he grabbed her hand.

She glanced back over at the stove. "I'm in the middle of cooking."

"Cut it off for a sec. Please?"

She pursed her lips together, wondering what the hell he was up to, but she cut the stove off and let him take her hand.

"Close your eyes until I say so, okay?" He told her, as he led them outside.

"What the hell did you buy?"

"You'll see in a minute."

She kept her eyes closed like he wanted, fully preparing herself to see a new motorcycle parked under her carport when she opened them.

"Alright, you can open your eyes now." He said, softly.

When she finally popped them open she found herself shocked at what she saw. "Whose is this?

"It's mine. I bought it today."

She stood in complete shock at the sight before her. It was a shiny, black four door truck. It was a Ford F 150 and looked almost new. It had a winch on the front of it and what looked like expensive mud tires. "You got a truck?" She asked, confused. "I didn't even know you wanted one."

"Yeah, I didn't either." He mumbled. "I got a good deal on it though, a really good deal."

"Is it new?"

"Nah, it's about ten years old. It had a new paint job recently and it's got low miles on it. Do you like it?"

She looked the truck over again, admiring the fresh paint and the like new condition it was in. "Yeah, I do. It's a really nice truck. Did you get tired of driving your bike to work in the freezing cold? She smirked.

He shook his head. "Not really. I'm still gonna drive my bike a lot. I just, I thought we could use it."

She cocked her head and gave him a funny look. "What? Why?"

He bit his lip and looked down at her belly, placing a gentle hand on her stomach. "You know." He said with a shrug.


	58. Chapter 58

**(I've neglected this story for far too long. I kept meaning to update and couldn't get in the mindset to write for it, but I am absolutely forcing myself today. I love this story and I want to finish it. So, for anyone still interested, here's the next chapter!)**

He crept quietly back into her room around two in the morning that night, being sure to inch the door closed so the sound of it shutting wouldn't wake her up. He'd been out on a tow earlier and for once since they'd gotten together, he hadn't woke her up before he left to her where he was going. She was sleeping so hard that when he'd gotten the call for the tow the sound of the phone ringing hadn't even woken her up, and that was saying something, because she'd barely been sleeping at all lately. She'd been having some pain in her abdomen and pelvis lately. It seemed to be worse at night for some reason and it scared the shit out of her the first time she'd experienced it. Hell it scared the piss out of him, too.

It happened the first time a few days after he bought the truck. He remembered it vividly. She'd gone to work like normal that morning and he had, too. It was around 3 in the afternoon and he was just doing an oil change on a truck. His phone vibrated several times in his pocket and he'd ignored it the first time trying to finish up the oil change. When the ringing started all over again he'd pulled the phone out and saw her name. He immediately felt his blood run cold, because she didn't call him when she was supposed to be working. Not ever. Sure, she'd text him on lunch to check up on his day or say hi, but he knew she wasn't on lunch. He'd just talked to her an hour and a half before.

When he'd answered the phone and she cried his name out in a shaky tone he'd immediately thought something happened with her dad. He was worried the man had another heart attack. He was quickly proven wrong though, because the next words out of her mouth had been jumbled and tear filled, but he'd managed to understand something's not right with the baby and shooting pains in her stomach. He and Merle had both closed the shop up and raced over the hospital. She'd gone straight to the OB/GYN wing as soon as they'd hung up.

His first concern had been fear for Carol. Fear something was wrong and something would happen to her consumed him. He found his thoughts quickly shifted to the baby, too. He'd felt sick to his stomach thinking of something happening to the unborn child. The child in the sonogram picture that he saw on her refrigerator every morning. The child resting behind her belly that he slept with his hand over every night. The child he'd been thinking of when he bought that truck he was hauling ass in on the way to the hospital. The child the woman he loved more than anything in the world was carrying and he knew it would rip her apart if something happened to that child. So, in that brand new truck on the way to meet her at the hospital he'd found himself doing something he hadn't done since her old man was in the hospital and not in a long time before that. He prayed silently. He begged and pleaded with God in his head. Begging that the woman he loved would be okay, but also that her child would be okay, too.

And all that praying must have worked, because as soon as the doctor came in to check her out he'd assured all three of them that she and the baby were just hunky dory. It was nothing to worry about, he'd said. It was just round ligament pain, which was caused by the uterus stretching and being pulled. It was a relatively normal thing around the five month mark, which she was just a week shy of at that point.

He'd never felt so relieved in his entire life, and he knew she hadn't. She'd had a sheer look of terror on her face when he'd walked in that exam room and he never wanted to see her so upset again as long as he lived. He'd felt so helpless in that moment, so powerless. He'd just ran to her and wrapped his arms around her. But, luckily, things were okay. Well, other than the fact that she would have to deal with the pain and discomfort for a while. But she seemed more than willing to deal with it as long as the baby was fine.

And she'd been dealing with it alright. She'd had such a hard time falling asleep the last week. Despite him rubbing her lower back, despite avoiding sudden movement as much as she could, and despite using heating pads, she'd still been having a lot of pain that kept her from sleeping.

She'd seemed to be sleeping so peacefully tonight that he hadn't wanted to wake her up. He'd slowly removed his arm out from under her and gotten dressed for his tow. He'd been sure to leave her a note on the night stand, just in case she woke up and noticed he was gone, but he didn't dare wake her. Now, as he was crawling back in bed with her he slowly peeled the covers back and slipped in beside her. She didn't seem to have moved from her sleeping position on her side that she was in before he left. He carefully pulled the covers back over them and slipped his arm back around her, his hand resting on her belly.

"I missed you." She murmured, shifting against him and gripping his hand with her own.

"I didn't meant to wake you up." He whispered, then kissed her neck softly.

"You didn't." She yawned. "I woke up because I had to pee."

"You find my note?"

"Mhm." She mumbled, sleepily.

He chuckled to himself. She barely sounded awake and he could hear the exhaustion in her voice. "Go back to sleep, I love you."

"Love you, too." She replied, pulling him in closer to her.

He shifted and rested his chin on her shoulder closing his own eyes. He knew he had to be up soon and he needed to fall asleep so he wouldn't be exhausted tomorrow. He was slowly slipping out of consciousness when a sharp jolt against his hand startled him awake. His eyes shot open and when he felt it again he panicked. "Are you okay?" He squeaked out worriedly. "Is something wrong you or the baby?" All he could think about was last week when she'd ended up in the hospital for those pains and how maybe they missed something.

She let out a chuckle of her own this time. "I'm fine."

He felt another one of those quick jolts on against his hand and he felt his heart rate speed up, worry settling deep in the pit of his stomach. "Something ain't right. You can't feel that?"

She rolled over on her back and cupped the side of his face with one hand and grabbed his free hand with her other, locking their fingers together. "She's just kicking. She does it all the time. I told you about me feeling her kick and move. It just hasn't been strong enough for anyone else to feel before."

"She's kicking? That's it?" He felt himself breathe a sigh of relief.

She nodded and moved a hand over her belly when she felt the movements coming again. "She's really starting to make up for those three easy months where I didn't even know she existed." She looked up when she felt his hand circling over her belly and she noticed his mouth was slightly gaping open and his eyes were wide. "Daryl, I'm fine. She is, too. I promise." She said, softly.

He gave her a small smile. "I know. It's just….pretty cool…..Feeling her move like that. You know?"

She smiled back at him and pushed herself up on her hands. She leaned over and kissed him gently. "I love you and I'm so glad you're here."

"Ain't nowhere else I'd wanna be." He kissed her back and pulled her into him, wrapping his arms around her once more and settling in for bed. He moved his hand back over her now still belly, moving it lightly a few times. "And I love you, too." He added, quietly

()()()

The next day he was sitting around the shop, which they'd just closed up for lunch. Andrea had dropped by on her lunch break and brought pizza and breadsticks by for the three of them. She'd done that a lot lately ever since she and Merle had become an official couple. She'd spent a lot of time at Daryl and Merle's house, too. A house which Daryl rarely stayed at anymore anyway, and when he did Carol was with him. And when all four of them were in that tiny ass house together things were cramped as hell, but it was kinda nice and familial when they were all there together like that. He, his fiancé and his brother and his girlfriend.

Daryl almost snorted while biting into his pizza and thinking of Andrea as Merle's girlfriend. It was still kinda weird for him to comprehend Merle had a girlfriend, one he actually gave two shits about. He never thought he'd see the day that happened and he damn sure hadn't expected Andrea of all people to end up in that roll. He shook his head to himself and glanced in front of him where Merle and Andrea were sitting together on the tailgate that was attached to the wall and acted as a seating place.

"You know, darling, getting drunk and fucking your brains out at Maggie and Glenn's party was one of the best damn decisions I ever made. Now I can get laid whenever the fuck I want and I get free food delivered to me." He smirked at her and then flinched when she punched him in the arm hard.

"You're the least romantic person I know. Why in the hell am I with you?" She teased, sporting a disgusted look on her face.

"Because I got the biggest dick you ever seen and I actually know how to use it." He snorted.

Daryl grimaced and shot them both a look. "Some people are trying to eat over here, assholes."

"Shut up. You know it's true. We're brothers, you working with a similar package.

"Shut the hell up, Merle." He groaned and felt his face flush. He was still so awkward about talking about things like that with anyone but Carol.

Andrea let out a laugh at the two of them going back and forth, but she could tell by the expression on Daryl's face he'd probably give anything to change to the subject, so she did. "How are Carol and the baby doing? Has she been able to sleep any better?"

A grin lined his face and his eyes brightened. "She was sleeping pretty good last night. She woke up when up to piss right before I got back from my tow. We were both about to back to sleep and I felt the baby kick for the first time."

"No shit?" Merle replied, smirking.

Daryl nodded and bit into his pizza. "She's been feeling her move for a few weeks, but I ain't never felt it before. It scared the hell out of me. I thought something was wrong."

"Aw, I can't wait to feel her kick." Andrea beamed. "It's hard to believe she'll be here in just four more months."

"Better enjoy those jugs she's sporting while you can, little brother. They ain't gonna stay that big after the baby gets here."

Andrea tapped Merle in the shoulder again and Daryl laughed. "How in the fuck are we related?"

Merle was about to smart off at Daryl when he heard the bell ringing, signaling the front door had just been opened. "You didn't lock the door?" He asked his little brother.

"Nah, I just flipped the closed sign. Everybody knows our hours." He brushed his hands off and stood up to go let whoever was here know they were on lunch, but as soon as he took a step forward he stopped in his tracks.

"You got something you wanna tell me, boy?" Daryl and Merle's dad angrily snapped, as he stomped into the garage room they were sitting in.

Daryl scowled and clenched his teeth thinking back to the last time he'd seen the man at Christmas. "Not really." He muttered, not hiding the anger in his own voice.

Merle locked his eyes on his old man and eyed the situation carefully, while Andrea worriedly looked between the three men.

"Oh, yeah? Because I think you do." The older Dixon hissed. "Because I saw your little girlfriend earlier when I went to grab lunch. She was with that Greene girl and she had a mighty big belly on her."

Daryl flexed his fingers and took a deep breath. His dad was the last person he wanted to be having this conversation with right now, and truthfully he hadn't ever planned on talking to the asshole again. But, he should have known his dad would find out. The town wasn't that big and he was surprised the man didn't know sooner. "She ain't my girlfriend." He managed to reply, cooly.

"So you two broke up? That ain't your damn baby?"

"I didn't say we broke up." Darly growled. "I said she ain't my girlfriend, and she ain't. We're engaged. I'm marrying her."

"You're about dumb as a stack of rocks? You know that?" He huffed. "You let that stupid little bitch trap you?" He turned and looked at Merle, pointing a finger towards him. "Hell, I expect dumbass shit like this from him. I'm surprised he ain't got five little bastards by now. I thought you'd be smart enough to wrap the shit up or she'd be smart enough to go on the pill. She wasn't some dumb whore like the girls he gets with."

Andrea's jaw dropped and she was about to go off on the guy when she felt Merle grab her hand and shake his head. "Just wait a minute." She heard him whisper.

"Not that it's any of your fucking business." Daryl barked. "But I asked her to marry me before we found out she was pregnant. And she didn't trap me. If I didn't wanna be here, I wouldn't. Trust me."

Their dad scoffed. "That's a load of shit and you know it. Hell, Merle knows it. She even fucking knows it. She made you turn your back on your own family at Christmas, disrespected me in my own home. She knew she could get knocked up and you wouldn't be going any damn where. She'd trap your dumb ass for life. Get half your money from this business. And you're too stupid to see it. And you ain't got a damn bit of business being a fucking father. You don't know what the hell you're doing and you're gonna fuck this kid up ten times worse than you two were."

Daryl wouldn't dare give the man the satisfaction of knowing this baby wasn't his. Partly because he knew that things would go from bad to worse the second he did and that he'd end up beating the hell out of the man the second he called Carol a whore or something like that. Another part of him wanted the man to think the kid was his, though. He hoped one day he'd feel some sort of regret for not getting to know his grandchild and he hoped the shit would eat away at the man. He stepped forward and leveled himself with the man. They were nose to nose now and his chest was heaving with anger. "Let me tell you something you piece of shit. She don't need my money. She's got a college education and she makes enough to take care of herself and this baby by her damn self. And she didn't plan on getting knocked up, she was on the pill. It just fucking happened. She didn't even know until she was three months."

"Are you that damn…" He began, but was cut off when he was forced to stumble backwards from a hard shove from his son. He had to do a double take to assess what just happened and he was too stunned to react.

Daryl moved forwards towards the man again, getting in face once more. "And don't even lecture me on what kinda father I'm gonna be. I don't know the fucking first thing about kids, but I know without a shadow of a doubt I'll be ten times the daddy you were. Hell, it ain't gone take much. Just gotta make sure I don't talk to her like she's dirt and don't put my fucking hands on her."

"You think it's that damn easy? You think raising you two by myself was a walk in the park? I made sure you was fed. I kept a roof over your heads. I made you who you are, damn it."

"Nah, you didn't." He cocked his head to the side and forced himself to take a calm breath. "It's just like she said, we are who we are in spite of you. That girl you're talking shit about…The one you think tricked me into having a baby, she's the best damn thing that ever happened to me and I wouldn't be who I was without her. She's the one who patched my ass up after you beat the hell out of me. She's the one who taught me I was worth a damn. She's the one who loved me and supported me when I was growing up. Not you!" He moved his hands to hips and exhaled deeply. "She's having a little girl…..We're having a little girl." He emphasized. "One you ain't ever gonna see. Now get the fuck out my damn shop and don't come back."


	59. Chapter 59

**(I got extremely busy Monday even though I had a day off and yesterday was crazy too. Sorry for the delay. Enjoy.)**

Carol and Maggie were walking around the mall. They'd eaten lunch together and then come to the mall for them both to grab some new spring clothes. Carol was walking with Maggie as she strolled through the normal women's section, admiring clothes she knew she wouldn't be able to fit in again anytime soon. She picked up a cute tank top that was on sale and sighed heavily. "I wish I could fit in this."

Maggie turned her attention from the shorts she was looking at chuckled at her friend. "Just go ahead and buy it. You'll have it for next year."

She shook her head and put the shirt down. "That's assuming I lose the weight. I might not even fit in it this time next year."

Maggie scoffed at her. "Carol, you're all baby and boobs! That weight won't take any time to get rid of."

She chuckled and sifted through some more clothes she couldn't wear. "I wish I could keep the boobs."

"If by some chance you do keep them, maybe I should get pregnant to get myself free breast implants." She teased.

Carol swatted het friends arm. "Stop it. You're so bad."

"Relax, I'm kidding." She reached over and picked another pair of shorts, searching for the tag to check the size. Once she located it she turned to look at Carol, her face growing serious. "Glenn and I….we're thinking about it."

Carol cocked an eyebrow at her and smirked. "About you getting implants?"

Maggie rolled her eyes. "No. About, you know, having a baby."

"I thought you weren't ready. What changed your mind?" She mused.

She shrugged her shoulders. "Part of it is seeing you go through all of this. Seeing the sonogram pictures, watching your belly grow and seeing you smile when you talk about her. It's just a really amazing thing to see."

"Yeah, it really is." She beamed, placing a hand over her belly.

"Plus, Glenn's been wanting once since his sister had her first child. I wasn't ready before, but then I realized if I waited until I felt ready then I'd probably never have kids. I mean, you can't ever really be ready for something that big can you?"

"You know my situation. I couldn't have been less prepared to or less ready when I found out."

"Yeah, but you are now and I can already tell how much you love her."

Carol reached out and placed a hand on Maggie's shoulder. "I've never loved anything more." She replied, sincerely. "Last week when I had those pains and I had to go to the hospital I've never been more scared in my life. It's insane how connected you can be to someone you've never met. Someone you have no clue what they look like, yet I know already I'd give my life to know she's safe. To know she's happy." She gave Maggie a supportive smile. "I think it's great if you and Glenn decide to do this. You'll both make wonderful parents."

"Thanks. I hope we will. You're gonna be pretty great with her." Maggie reached down and put a hand on Carol's belly.

She nodded. "I hope I am. It's scary. I won't lie. A million things have gone through my head. I worry I won't know what the hell I'm doing. I know I take care of babies all day long in NICU, but it's a whole other ball game thinking about raising one and being responsible for her every single second of every single day. I don't wanna mess up. I wanna give her everything. "She let out a small laugh." Too bad they don't come with instruction manuals."

"Daddy said something like that to me when I was teenager." Maggie recalled. "I was being difficult and acting out because he just married Annette. He screamed something about not knowing what to do and he wished I came with instructions."

"Ah yes. Your wild phase. Smoking cigarettes and kissing boys in the janitor's closet. Poor Hershel."

"See, and this is what you have to look forward too." She joked. "Angry teenage daughter rebellion."

"I hope you have twin girls if you get pregnant." She glared

"If they are anything like Beth and I were then I hope I have all boys."

"Thanks, Maggie. Way to make me less freaked out about being a mom."

"Oh, I'm only kidding….mostly." She pursed her lips and shook her head.

Carol shrugged. "I've got Daryl to take care of things if she gets caught with some boy in a janitor's closet like you or ends up going after some guy ten years older than her like Beth." She paused, looking thoughtful. "And Merle. I've got Merle for that, too."

Maggie couldn't help the smile that lined her face hearing Carol say something like that. Two months ago she'd have been so unsure Daryl would be able to handle it and be there in the future a comment like that would have never left her mouth. "You two are in a good place now aren't you?"

"We are. Things were hard for a while….really hard, but we're doing good. He's really come around and started accepting the fact that she's going to be a part of our future. I swear, Maggie, it makes me love him even more if that's possible."

()()()

She spent the majority of her day with Maggie since they were both off work that day. They spent a lot of time shopping and even went and had their nails done. Carol waited around while Maggie got her hair cut. The woman asked her if she wanted hers done, but she politely declined at first. She had planned to let it grow back out from where she whacked it all off right after she left Ed. The more she sat and thought about it though, the more she realized it would make sense to keep it short. It wasn't like she'd have much time to keep her hair done once the baby came and it might only get in the way at work. She eventually caved and got it cut the same style she had it when she first moved back down here. She briefly wondered what Daryl would think about her hair cut. He'd never seemed to not like it short and never asked her to grow it back out, but she honestly wondered which he preferred. If she'd have done something like that back when she was with Ed the man would have flipped his shit for her not consulting him about it. Even before he put his hands on her, he still would have bitched and raised hell for something like that. She knew she didn't have to expect something like that with Daryl, though. Even if he preferred it longer he wouldn't make a big deal out it being short and he'd probably tell her if she liked it that was all that mattered. He damn sure wasn't going to bitch her out for it. They didn't argue about trivial things like that. Nope. When they argued it was usually because he ran away after they had sex or because she was having another man's kid while they were engaged to be married. They argued about huge stuff. Stuff that would probably rip most other couples apart, yet somehow, they'd pushed through it so far.

She got glanced over at the clock and saw it was six and knew that Daryl should be in any minute. She'd texted him and asked if he was working late and he'd told her no and that he'd be home right around 6. He'd given pretty short responses today and she figured he must have been working hard and hadn't had much time to reply.

She fell back onto the couch and propped her feet up. They were sore from all the walking and her back was, too. She was glad she thought to bring them something to eat home, because she damn sure didn't feel like cooking tonight. They were just going to have to live with a family meal from that fried chicken place she'd stopped at. She reached behind her head and was about to flick the TV on when she heard the front door open. She looked up and smiled when she saw Daryl walking in. He was covered in grease from his ass to his elbows, but she always found it really sexy when he came in like that. "How was your day?" She asked, peeping her head about, but still laying down and not bothering to sit up.

He sighed heavily and walked over to where she was sitting on the couch. A somber look on his face and his eyes were heavy and downcast. "My dad stopped by the shop today. He saw you and Maggie and he noticed your belly."

That got her attention and before she knew it she shot up in her seat. She felt her heart drop and she was scared shitless all the damn progress they'd made would be erased. If anyone could get into Daryl's head, if anyone could fuck up what they'd tried so hard to work through, it would be that man. He had a way of getting to both his sons like no one else did. She had no doubt the man despised her after how she talked to him at Christmas. She was sure he'd take pride in helping to ruin anything between them after that. Even if that wasn't the case, he was not the kind of man who would tell his son to support a woman carrying another man's child. Not at all. "What'd he say to you?" She managed to get out, trying to keep herself as composed as possible, despite the urge she had to go off on a rampage. If this man fucked this up for them she had every urge to slit his throat in his sleep.

Daryl took a seat beside her and let his head fall back He ran his hands through his shaggy hair. "A lot of shit." He mumbled. He turned his head and noticed she'd pulled her knees up to her chest and she was chewing her thumb, watching him closely. She was rocking back and forth and he couldn't tell if she was shaking or not, but he knew she was upset. "Stop. Come here." He pulled her towards him and he felt her head fall on his chest. "I ain't listening to a damn word he said, you ain't gotta worry. I told him that, too."

She wrapped her arms around his waist and looked at him curiously. "What happened?

He shifted in his seat. Finding himself becoming angry at the situation all over again. He tried to keep his voice calm so he didn't stress her out any more than she already was. "He came up in the shop while we were closed for lunch. He stared raising hell about me not telling him about it and talking shit about you trapping me and wanting to take half my shit. Calling me a dumbass, you know just him being his regular asshole self. Told me I ain't got no business being a daddy and I'd fuck a kid up worse than he ever did me and Merle." He nervously ran a hand across the back of his neck. "He thinks she's mine. I mean, I didn't say she wasn't when he started in on me. It would've made things worse."

She ran a hand along his stubbled, grease smeared face and looked at him carefully. "He's an asshole. He always has been. You've always deserved better and I'll always hate him for what he put you both through." She paused and took a deep breath. She was scared to bring it up, but she knew they better talk of this through right now, because the more they kept things to themselves the worse it made things. "I just…I don't want what he said to get to you. I don't want how far we've come to get thrown away."

He wrapped his arms around her tighter. "Stop worrying so damn much, woman. It ain't good for you and it ain't good for the baby. I already told you once, he ain't getting to me. Not this time. He ain't screwing this up for me." He kissed her forehead lightly. "I said shit to him today. Shit I wanted to say my whole life, but I was too damn scared to do it. Let him know what a piece of shit he was. Let him know he was never there for me. I told him that you were. You always were. Hell, I even told him I'd make a better daddy than he was. All I gotta do is not lay a damn hand on her." He shook his head in disgust at the thought of the things the man had done to him over the years. "She ain't mine, she ain't, but I'm gonna treat her a hell of a lot better than he ever treated me. I promise."

She linked her hand with his and gave him a warm smile. "I know you will." She felt so relieved to hear those words come out of his mouth. To hear him say he finally told his father off. She couldn't imagine the weight it lifted off of him to get all those feelings out. Resentment he'd been carrying for far too long.

"I told him not to ever come back to the shop." He added quietly. I don't want him in my life no more. I ain't going back to his house. Not even for Christmas. You were right, he ain't good for me. I don't want him in my life. I don't want him near my family." He ran a hand over her protruding belly. "She ain't ever gonna go through what Merle and I did. She ain't gonna through what that sorry sack of shit put you through. I'm gonna make damn sure of that. Not from the dumbass that made her, not from my damn daddy, not from anyone."

 **(Eh, this chapter wasn't great, but I felt like I needed to touch on how his conversation with his dad would affect them as a couple and I wanted to get into Carol's head at this point some, too. I've got a few more things I wanna do before this story is done, but we will get some time skips soon and move forward a lot. Someone mentioned seeing Merle face their dad, too. I think that's a good idea and if I can make it work, I'd like to touch on that at some point. I didn't have time to proof read before submitting. I've got class until 8 tonight and I wrote this up quickly at field placement when I was on planning.)**


	60. Chapter 60

**(Neat fact: As I'm typing this I am also semi watching a movie and notice Jon Berenthal is in it and he plays a teacher. The moment I heard the voice I was just like, holy shit, that's Shane. I just thought it was pretty cool and wanted to share. Anyway, sorry for not updating lately. I've been busting my ass to finish my semester out and I haven't had much time. Plus, one of my dogs died on Wednesday =( and I was a bit depressed and not in the mood to do anything. Hopefully after next week I can get back to at least every other day updates with this and my other story.)**

After the minister pronounced Lori and Rick man and wife and the two headed down the aisle so that they could continue to their reception, the bridesmaids and groomsmen followed suit behind the newly betrothed couple. Carol linked arms with Daryl when it was their turn to follow in line and leaned up and pressed her lips next to his ear. "I gotta pee so, bad." She whispered to him quietly.

He choked back a laugh, not expecting that statement at all. "Ain't you romantic?"

"Shut up." She mumbled, nudging him in his side. "I've had to go since Lori walked down the aisle and I think my bladder is going to explode."

As they headed into the reception hall he nodded to a hallway right across from the double doors they'd walked through. "Probably a bathroom down there. Go on."

She looked down the hallway and then back in front of them where Rick and Lori were sharing a quick kiss. "I don't wanna miss their first dance if I go."

He went to press on bladder and he felt her snatch his wrist in a firm grip and twist his arm backwards.

"I will break your hand if you do that and I pee myself." She growled.

He let out a chuckle and went to whisper in her ear this time. "I kinda like you taking charge like that. It's pretty hot. Might have to go in the bathroom with you."

She rolled her eyes at him, but couldn't stop the grin that lined the edge of her lips. "Aren't you romantic?" She mocked, echoing his own words from a moment ago.

He snorted and moved his hand to her lower back, ushering her in the direction of the hallway. "Go take a piss. You ain't gonna miss nothing and it's just a dance if you do. I don't want people thinking I'm marrying someone who still pees their pants."

"Don't blame me if I do, blame my daughter." She laughed, as she headed for the bathroom.

()()()

She felt so relieved once she was finally able to empty her bladder. It felt like she'd been holding for hours. She could swear that the baby had decided her bladder was a squeeze toy, because she'd made sure to go before the reception started. She barely thought she was going to be able to make it through Lori and Rick's ceremony without peeing on herself. She'd forced herself to hold it though, not wanting to bolt as the minister was leading the couple in reciting their vows. It probably wouldn't look good if one of the bridesmaids took off at that point, especially not one that was currently six months pregnant.

Other than the undying urge to piss herself, the ceremony had been quite lovely and she'd enjoyed being a part of it. Rick was grinning like an idiot the entire time and Lori had been crying tears of happiness pretty much since she'd put the dress on earlier that day. Carol was happy for her friends, she really was. They'd been waiting for this day for a really long time and it melted her heart a little to see two of her closest friends stand in front of that alter and vow to love one another the rest of their lives. They'd been so in love since they were fifteen years old and seeing them make it official truly was a beautiful thing.

The ceremony had her thinking a lot about her own relationship, too. She'd been engaged to Daryl for three months now, and they still hadn't discussed wedding plans or anything of the sort. Sure, he'd pretty much put the ball in her court about when they got married and where. He'd told her he wanted her to have the wedding of her dreams and that whenever she was ready, he would be. Things had gotten crazy though, with the unexpected pregnancy and all of the issues that came along with that and challenged the very fabric of their relationship.

Things had been so complicated and she'd spent so much time being worried that Daryl would freak out and decide that he didn't want to be a part of this after all. That he would wake up and realize that seeing her child, the child that would biologically never be his, would break his heart too much and he would walk away. Even after things had gotten better, after their sex life returned to normal, after he was able to leave his hand on her belly and not cringe, after they got all of their feelings out in the open, after he bought the truck because of the baby, after he started actually talking and paying attention to the screen at her doctor's appointments instead of quietly sulking and averting his eyes, she'd still had that fear. It was becoming less and less, yet the thought still occasionally reared its ugly head. Usually late at night or when he'd have a rare day where she'd catch that sad far-away look in his eye. The one she knew meant he was thinking about the fact that the little girl she was carrying wasn't his. The one she knew meant that he wished deep down that things were actually different.

That look didn't occur often anymore though, and she'd known since the day she'd had those pains and had to go to the hospital that he actually did love this baby. Her unborn child meant something to him. His face was riddled with panic as soon as he and Merle walked into the hospital room she was in. And even after the doctor had told him that she was going to be fine that panic stricken looked stayed etched on his face until he knew that the baby was fine, too. Then there was the look of amazement on his face as he felt the baby kick for the first time in the middle of the night a few weeks ago, that had been another moment that solidified the fact that she knew he wasn't just doing things because he thought that's what she wanted him to do anymore. And though, those moments had really been assuring to her, truly had eased many doubts she'd had, nothing could have put them to rest more than when he had that run in with his father a few weeks ago.

If anything could have screwed them up, if anything could have made her question his commitment to being there for her and this child, it would have been that man. Even after him reassuring her that Will Dixon's words wouldn't screw this up, that what the man said had no impact whatsoever on him, she'd been terrified that a moment would arise that set Daryl off. That the words would eat at him until some small catalyst would ignite a fire that would destroy everything because of his lousy ass father. But it had been weeks now, and that hadn't happened. Not at all. In fact, his father's words had only seemed to strengthen this bond he was forming with the baby. When he'd kiss her goodbye in the morning he'd let his hand rest on her belly before pulling away, or if she brought him lunch by the shop on her days off that's the first place his hands would land as he greeted her. When he'd come in from work in the evening he'd walk up behind her and wrap his arms her, running them along her stomach and trying to entice to baby to kick or jump around, and when she responded his face would light up.

So, as she rounded the corner of the reception hall and eyed the crowd of people who'd circled to watch two of her best friend's share their first dance as man and wife, her eyes went to the man standing off to the side by himself. He was by the punch bowl and he had a glass in his hand, his suit jacket draped over his shoulder and his eyes trained on Rick and Lori. _He hated crowds, he always had_. She thought, smiling and making her way over to him. She quietly walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around him snugly, letting her head fall into his shoulder blades and letting her round belly press into his back. "I love you." She muttered. Thinking to herself how she couldn't wait for the day that they were standing in front of their friends and family just like Rick and Lori had done. She was ready for it. She wanted to be his wife. She wanted his last name. She wanted to look into his eyes and promise to love him the rest of her life.

He moved his hands over hers and smiled to himself, enjoying the way she felt pressed up against him. Enjoying the strange feeling of the baby moving around as her belly was pushed up against his back. "Love you, too." He mumbled, not wanting to speak too loud with all of the people around them. "You feel better now?"

She smiled to herself, digging her head further into his back. "Much."

()()()

She'd eventually moved out from behind him, taking a place beside him instead so she could get a better view of their friends. The two of them had still hung back from the crow though, she knew Daryl wouldn't want to be mushed between the hoard of people. Once Lori and Rick finished their first dance they'd gotten in line to give their friend's a proper congratulations and hug them both. Lori had still been on an emotional roller coaster, crying and laughing as Carol, Daryl and the rest of the gang had gone up to them. They didn't smother the couple though, instead they'd given the rest of the wedding guests a moment with them and gone on about their business, taking a seat at a table with Maggie, Glenn, Merle, Andrea, Michonne, and Shane and indulging in the food.

Merle was sitting across from Carol, staring at her wide eyed as he watched her scarf down her second plate of the night. He could have sworn she'd eaten every damn strawberry that was on the damn food table. "Jesus, darling." He rasped. "Are you carrying a human being or baby elephant in there?"

She stopped mid chew and gaped at him, taken aback by his words and not sure exactly how to react at first.

"Ow. What the fuck!" Merle cried out as he felt a foot connect with each shin from under the table.

"You're a damn dick, that's what." Daryl snapped, shooting his brother a hard scowl. "I'm kicking you in the damn nuts next time."

"I wish you would, you little shit." Merle mumbled and reared back and kicked his little brother in the shin, smirking at him smugly. It didn't last long though, because the next thing he knew he was being kicked in the shin even harder and when he was done wincing he looked up Carol was standing there, flicking him off.

"You're lucky I've got to pee again, or I wouldn't stop there." She shot him a look harder than the one Daryl had been giving him and turned to walk away.

Everyone at the table snickered at him and he tried to gain some sympathy from Andrea, but it wasn't doing a bit of good. She seemed to think he was being an ass, too, and had apparently been about two seconds away from kicking him herself. He sat there sulking with his arms crossed over his chest as everyone else talked and laughed.

"Holy shit." Shane laughed, as the DJ played the next song. "You remember this Andrea? It was the last song played at prom senior year."

"Oh yeah." She grinned at the memory. "Although, as I recall we were hearing it from outside since we were in the back of your older brother's roadster."

Merle's ears shot up at that comment, and though he normally didn't find himself to be the jealous type, he knew Andrea had a long history with Shane and he didn't exactly like to think of his girlfriend in the back of someone's car with her legs in the air.

"What do you say? You wanna dance to it? Since we didn't get to back then." Shane suggested, looking over at Andrea. "I mean, if Merle don't min." dHe added, noticing how she'd immediately looked over at the man next to her.

"Go ahead." Merle said, keeping his tone under control as he nodded to Shane.

"You sure you don't mind?" Andrea asked, raising an eyebrow.

He shook his head. "Nah." He replied, simply. "Go right on ahead."

"Let's go then." Shane said, extending his hand out to Andrea and taking her to the dance floor.

()()()

Maggie and Glenn had gotten up too, and Michonne had been asked to dance by a guy that lived next to Rick, named Morgan. Apparently the guy was the single father of a young son and he'd had his eye on Michonne all afternoon. She'd been stealing glances at the man right back, and Carol hadn't seen Michonne give a guy the time of day in a long time, so he must have really grabbed her attention. As the next song started to play and the others were still on the dance floor a smile lined Carol's face. "You remember this song?" She replied, looking over at Daryl. The song that was playing was Time after Time, by Cyndi Lauper.

He nodded. "They played it at prom, too."

"It's the first song we ever danced to together."

He snorted. "You call that dancing? I stood there like an idiot holding you in the corner of the damn gym. I barely moved"

Merle snickered to himself. "Is that what happened the first time you nailed her, too? You barely moved?"

Daryl went to kick his brother under the table again, but Merle must have been anticipating it and moved out of the way quickly.

"Stop it. Both of you!" Carol warned, pointing and giving them both stern looks before turning her attention back to Daryl. "It was really sweet and you got more comfortable as the night went on. We actually danced in front of people before it was all over with."

He chuckled. "That's because Shane spiked the punch and I had a good buzz going."

Merle diverted his attention from his brother and future sister in law, gazing out to the dance floor where Andrea and Shane were still dancing. He sighed heavily and looked back at the couple in front of him. "I'mma go smoke." He mumbled, reaching into his pocket.

Carol looked at Merle's frown creased brow and then over at Daryl. "Will you dance with me, Merle?" She asked, softly. "I know Daryl isn't drunk enough to get up in front of all these people and go out there with me and I really like this song."

Daryl noticed the look on his brother's face and despite the smart ass comments he'd been making tonight he could see genuine hurt in his eyes. He knew he'd be feeling the same way if Carol was out there dancing with some guy he knew she'd slept with. Hell, he'd probably have blown a fucking gasket about it by now and wouldn't have been as nonchalant as Merle had been about her getting up and going with Shane in the first place.

Merle smirked at Carol, and threw his hand out to her. "Alright, darling, but don't blame me if you end up not being satisfied with Daryl no more after you see all the moves I got. There's a reason I'm the big brother." He winked and looked up her and down.

"Hey." Daryl called out. "Best keep your hands to yourself. Those are my girls" He pointed to Carol and then down at her belly."

Merle snorted. "Don't worry. I ain't gonna mess with your girls. I might mess with these girls, though." He reached up and squeezed Carol's swollen breast, lightly. Earning him a slap from Carol and bird finger from his brother.

 **(Originally I had planned for a lot more things to happen in this chapter, but then I got caught up in all these little details. I plan to post the rest tomorrow, but this was getting a little long so I ended it here. I'm not going to say what, but something big is going to take place next chapter. If you want to guess I'd be curious to see if you can predict what exactly it is.)**


	61. Chapter 61

As Carol and Merle stepped on the dance floor, she couldn't help but notice how upset he seemed to be. His eyes kept fixating to the other end of the room where Shane and Andrea were dancing and sharing a few laughs. She looked up and noticed the man's vein bulging in his neck the same way his younger brother's did when he was angry. Merle and Andrea had seemed to be doing really good ever since they decided to make things official, but Carol had a feeling this might cause a huge set back between the two. She hated that, too. Because it was obvious how much Merle actually liked her. "You alright?" She asked him softly as the two swayed back and forth to the music.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Merle snorted, averting his attention from Shane and Andrea and looking down at Carol. "I'm getting to dance with not just one, but two pretty girls." He gave her that classic Merle grin of his and placed a hand over her belly.

She smiled warmly back at him and shook her head. "How can you be such an asshole one minute and so damn sweet the next?"

He shrugged. "It's just what big brother's do, darling. I can fuck with you all I want to, but at the end of the day I love you to damn death and I'd do anything for you and that little girl you're carrying. Your family."

She gripped her arms tighter around his neck. He was such an asshole sometimes, but she really did adore Merle and always had. "I'm glad you're going to be in her life. I'm glad you're okay with all of this. I know you weren't thrilled with Daryl sticking around at first. I get why, I really do, but I'm so glad you came around. I think you've helped make things for him."

"Hey." Merle said, firmly. "How things was at first, it ain't how they are now. Far as I'm concerned that baby your carrying is Daryl's baby. That's my niece, damn it. Blood ain't always family, and family ain't always blood."

She didn't say anything. She simply nodded and tugged at her bottom lip. Merle's words had her feeling overcome with emotion. She felt so lucky to have such supportive family and friends through this ordeal, and she was truly touched that Merle viewed this child as his niece, regardless of genetics. She knew people in town thought the child was Daryl's and no one had corrected them. Hell, several people had come up and congratulated them at the wedding today and asked about the due date. But she'd never actually asked Daryl if he wanted that title. If he wanted to actually be her child's father. She didn't want him to feel like he had to be, and if he just wanted to be Daryl to the child then it was fine with her. She just couldn't bring herself to ask him to take on that role. She felt like that would push him and make him feel obligated. He'd never referred to her as his, though he'd promised to treat her right and make sure no one ever hurt her. He'd still made sure to affirm she wasn't his, so she assumed he wanted the baby to know the truth. To know he loved her, but he wasn't her father. And in the long run, maybe it would be better that way. He was going to be a good step-father, regardless. It didn't matter if he was Daryl or daddy. It didn't changed the fact that she knew he loved the baby and she'd love him.

The two continued to dance in silence and as the song was nearing an end Carol looked over to Shane and Andrea one last time. She knew Andrea cared deeply about Merle and she really didn't think it meant anything that she was dancing with Shane, but she also knew it would hurt her to see Daryl that friendly with someone he had such seeded history with. "She cares about you a lot. You know that, right? I've never seen her the way she is with you before with anyone."

"Her and Shane, was he just putting it to her back in the day or was there more to it than that?" He asked, his voice set and guarded.

"I don't know." Carol, replied honestly. "But that was a long time ago. It doesn't matter now."

"Yeah." He mumbled. Well, you and Daryl was a long time ago, too. But here we are ain't we? You got his ring on your finger and you're gonna be raising a family together in about three more months."

She gave Merle a sympathetic look and ran a hand along his cheek. "I don't know if Andrea had feelings for Shane or not. I don't, but I'm going to be really honest with you, but he didn't love her. I know that much. He fucked half the school while they were fooling around back then. She knows you care about her Merle, and she isn't stupid enough to screw that up. Sometimes, you just have to trust people. I know it's hard." She let out a nervous laugh. "God knows I do. It's been hard enough for me to fully trust your brother again after all that happened back then. But you have too, if you don't you don't you won't ever really be happy. You'll be too busy worrying something is going to go wrong to be truly happy." The song ended as her words did and she leaned up and placed a kiss on his cheek, then walked back over to the table to join Daryl.

()()()

Carol let out a yawn as the stepped inside her house late that evening. The wedding had actually been at 2, but it was past 8 now and they were just getting home. She'd enjoyed the ceremony and the reception. She'd gotten to see a lot of people she hadn't seen in years and it was good to just have a good time with all their friends, but she was more than ready to be home by the time they left. "I can't believe all those older people kept writing us checks so we could get something for the baby" She laughed, collapsing back onto the couch once she reached the living room.

Daryl let out a laugh, pulling a three checks out of the pocket of his dress pants. "Tell me about it. Ain't that what baby showers are for?" He fell down beside her and she stretched out and tossed her feet in his lap.

"Supposed to be. I guess they didn't want to have to get back out and make it to another shin dig in a few months." She let out a laugh. "Or it's because they were in that gossip circle with old lady Cranston that started the rumor I was carrying Rick's love child and they were trying to atone for their guilt.

Daryl rolled his eyes. He knew it was just a rumor, but the thought still made him cringe. How fucked up would that have been if something had happened between Rick and Carol and this child was one of his best friends? "I'm ready to get this damn suite off." He groaned, changing the subject and pulling at his tie to loosen it.

She smirked and raised a suggestive eyebrow, pushing herself up on her elbows. "I can give you some help with that if you want?"

He looked down at her, noticing how the way she was laying had her dress riding up her legs. He licked his bottom lip and pulled her up, carefully helping her situate herself over his lap. "Why don't you do that then?" He growled, moving his face closer and closer to hers.

She grabbed the sides of his face and pulled him in for a passionate kiss. As the kiss grew heated she pulled his tie off and started working at the buttons of his shirt. He'd gone for the zipper on the back of her dress and he was working as a much quicker pace than her, because he was slowly sliding the straps of the dress off her shoulder blades. She grinned against his lips as she felt the material slump down her shoulders and she knew her bra had been exposed. She pulled apart from him, her lungs begging her stop and take a breath of air. As she sat there on his lap and her eyes met his, she couldn't help but smile again, thinking about how much she loved him. She let her forehead fall to his. "I love you, so much."

He moved his forehead against hers. "Yeah?" He grinned, before moving to trail kisses down her neck.

"Mhm." She moaned, but pulled his face back up so she could meet his eyes again.

"Everything alright?" He asked, noticing how it seemed like she wanted to put the brakes on things, which was unusual for her. Once they got this far into it she was normally tearing his clothes off by this point.

She nodded, and a stupid grin lined her face again. "I wanna marry you." She blurted out.

He felt the corner of his lip turn up and he couldn't help but chuckle. He grabbed her left hand and linked it with his, stopping to run his finger along the ring he'd given her. "I kinda wanna marry you, too. It's why I gave you this."

Now it was her turn to roll her eyes. "I know that, jackass. But, you said you wanted me to have the wedding of my dreams. You wanted to married when I wanted to." She swallowed hard, hoping like hell he'd meant it and hadn't changed his mind "Well, I wanna marry you. I don't care if you don't want us to have a big wedding like Rick and Lori did. I don't care if you'd be more comfortable if we went to the courthouse, I just know I wanna marry you, Daryl Dixon. I want your last name. I wanna be your wife."

He leaned up and placed a quick kiss to her lips. "I want you to be my wife, too. But I know you, you don't want no courthouse wedding. You want all our friends and family to be there. You want a reception. You want me to dance with you to some cheesy ass song that reminds me of something sentimental as hell between us."

She was about to protest, but she felt his lips meet hers again.

He pulled away and looked her in the eyes again. "Stop. I know you. I always have and I always will. Seeing Rick and Lori get married today, it got you thinking. It got you wanting what they have. I get it. I do. Hell, it got me thinking, too."

"Yeah?" She asked curiously. "About what?"

He shrugged. "When they was saying there vows and we was standing across from each other all I could think of is that being us. I wanna marry you, I do. Shit, I'd marry you tomorrow, but I want a real wedding. I want you to have the perfect dress. I want you to pick out all your favorite songs. I want our friends there. I want your parents there and I want your dad to give you away." He paused, feeling like the sappiest mother fucker on the planet right now. "I wanna have a first dance with you." He added quietly and looked down. When he looked back up at her she was grinning from ear to ear.

"I want that, too. I really do. And I wanna start planning it. Like, really planning it."

He nodded. "Me too."

She pulled him in for another kiss and she couldn't stop smiling as their lips danced together back and forth as they picked up where they left. As he went to undo the clasp on her bra a few steady knocks on the front door had them both letting out an irritated sigh and groaning.

"Who the hell could that be?" Daryl hissed.

"I don't know." Carol replied, and she really didn't. She couldn't think of why any of their friends would be stopping by right now. "Maybe it's Merle or Andrea. They could have gotten into a fight after that Shane stuff at the reception.

Daryl rolled his eyes. Merle would have the damn timing to interrupt him getting laid. "I'll get the door, I'm a little more dressed than you." He smirked.

She let out a laugh and rolled off of him so he could go see who the hell it was. She knew she couldn't get her zipper up by herself so she scurried back to the bedroom to change in case whoever was wanted to stay.

Daryl didn't even bother fixing the three buttons on his shirt that were currently undone or even bother putting his shoes back on. He couldn't think of who it could have been aside from Merle, and he wanted his brother to know what he'd barged in on.

However, as he made his way to front door and stopped to look out the window it wasn't his brother's truck he noticed in their driveway. It was a car he didn't recognize. He scrunched his brow and opened the front door, behind it was a man he'd never seen before in his life. He was tall, easily four inches taller than Daryl himself. He had dark hair and brown eyes and he was stocky. This was a pretty small town, and he'd never seen this guy around at all. Something about the man's appearance just didn't sit right with him at all. "Can I help you?" Daryl asked, keeping his eyes carefully trained on the man and his stance guarded.

The man glared at Daryl, leveling his eyes at the disheveled buttons on his shirt. "Yea, I'm looking for Carol." The man barked. "She live here?"

"Who the fuck are you?" He growled between clenched teeth. He could feel anger sweeping throughout his entire body and he could swear hot lava was coursing through his veins. He had a feeling he already knew exactly who this was.

"I'm her fiancé, Ed." The man, spat. Now who the fuck are you?"


	62. Chapter 62

**(Warning. This may get a little violent. So, if that's not your thing, maybe don't read this chapter. Anyway, thanks for everyone still reading and thanks to those of you who drop reviews.)**

Daryl's jaw clenched involuntarily and clenched his fists until his own fingernails were digging painfully into the skin of his palms. Every single part of him wanted to lunge at this man and beat his face into a bloody pulp. He'd wanted to ever since he first found out the man ever laid a hand on Carol, and now here the man was knocking on his own damn door. Well, Carol's door, but he practically live here, too. The only thing stopping him from acting on his rage filled impulse was his need to know why the man was here now. Why it had taken six months for him to show back up and try to lay claim on her. Did he somehow know she was pregnant? Was he going to try and stake some claim on this child? There was no way in hell that was happening as far as Daryl was concerned.

Daryl took a deep breath to try and placate some of his anger. He took a step forward, and leveled himself with the man. He looked up, staring the man dead in the eye, and it took everything he had in him not to hit him square in the jaw. "She ain't your fiancé no more." Daryl growled, his voice low and filled with anger. "She ain't been your fiancé for six months since you put your damn hands on her you sorry sick of shit. Now why the hell are you here?" He demanded." And you better start talking real fast before I lose what little fucking patience I'm trying to have with you and throw you through hood of your own damn car."

Ed was annoyed with the tone of the man in front of him. He didn't know who the hell he was, but from the way the buttons on his shirt were undone he could guess that whoever he was, his ex was more than likely sleeping with him. That might also explain the presence of the bike and the truck in the yard, too. What a little whore. He thought to himself. She's already living with another man. "I ain't here to talk to you, boy. I'm here to talk to Carol." The man spat. "From what I hear, we got a lot to talk about and don't a damn bit of it concern you. No matter what you think you fucking her means."

()()()

Carol had gone to the bedroom to put something else on since she couldn't get the zipper of her dress back up by herself due to her bulging belly. She was more than ready to be in something more comfortable by now anyway. She assumed it was just Merle at the door. Hell, it wasn't like it really could have been anyone else at this point and she'd known he was upset at the reception. He probably had it out with Andrea and needed someone to vent to about it. So, when choosing what to change into, she didn't put much thought into it. She'd just tossed on tank top and some sweat pants. The tank top was one that her boobs almost spilled out of at this point and it even rode a little high on her belly, but she figured it might give her future brother in law an opportunity to get some lewd jokes in and make him feel better. So, she was willing to sacrifice her dignity for it. Hell, the man had seen her naked once before anyway and he'd squeezed her boobs earlier. She didn't have much shame left when it came to Merle.

As she left the hallway and didn't see Daryl or his brother in the living room she made her way towards the kitchen. That's where her front door was and she figured maybe he hadn't made it inside yet. As she saw Daryl's back to the door she started walking towards him. She had a sympathetic smile in place ready for Merle, but as she made her way behind Daryl and saw the man standing at the other end of the door her face fell. "Oh my God." She gasped, placing one hand over her mouth and the other protectively over her belly.

()()()

Daryl was about to go off on the man and tell him that whatever he thought he needed to talk to Carol about was his business because he was her fiancé and that he didn't have a damn bit of business talking to her anyway, but he didn't get the chance to. He heard her gasp and the, oh my God, and he turned around and glanced at her quickly. He saw the panic in her eyes, he saw her hand covering her belly and when he turned and glanced back at Ed, he'd know why he was here.

Ed's eyes grew wide at the sight of her and her distended belly that was poking out in that tank top she was wearing. "So, it's true. You're fucking pregnant." He hissed. "You're carrying my damn baby and you just weren't going to tell me, you stupid bitch."

Daryl had tried to stay calm. He'd tried not to act on his impulses with this. He really had, but as Ed cussed the woman and loved and started pointing his finger at her and yelling he felt his own resolve to remain calm crumbling. Then, Ed went to take a step forward towards Carol and Daryl couldn't keep himself calm any longer. He grabbed the man by the collar of his shirt, dragging him inside the house. He quickly slammed him against the wall as hard as he could and he heard the impact as the taller man's head connect with the wall behind him. This stunned Ed, and Daryl took the opportunity to punch him in the face as hard as he could.

Between the impact of his head hitting the wall and Daryl's fist connecting with his face, Ed soon found himself falling to the floor and crying out in pain. He tried to cover his face with his hand, but soon Daryl was on top of him, his hand connecting with his face a second time.

"Ain't so fucking fun being on the receiving end is it, you little bitch?" He snapped. As he hit Ed for the third time and the man's head went back he snatched him up by the hair, making him meet his eyes, despite the blood pouring down his face. "And let's get one thing straight real quick." He pointed behind him where Carol had been standing before. "That's my fiancé. We been engaged for three months and I'm gonna marry her, not you. And that baby she's carrying, that's my baby. That's my fucking daughter, not yours." He hit him again one more time for good measure. "I don't know what the fuck you think you're doing coming here or what the fuck you thought you knew about her being pregnant, but you best remember everything I just said. Because if you ever try to come near Carol again, if you ever try to get near MY little girl, I'll fucking kill you and won't think twice about it." As Daryl looked down at the below him he realized he'd never been so angry with someone in his entire fucking life, not even his own father. The thought if this man trying to lay a hand on Carol, the thought of this man trying to get near that little girl Carol was carrying, the little girl he'd just called his own for the second time, it infuriated him. He knew he should stop hitting him, but he couldn't stop himself.

()()()

Merle and Andrea had ridden to the ceremony together, so naturally she'd ridden home with him. Merle didn't speak much to her after she'd danced with Shane and the ride home had been spent in silence. Andrea notice he missed the turn that would take them to his house. Instead, Merle continued driving straight, which would lead them to her place. She looked over to him and quirked an eyebrow. "We aren't staying at your house tonight?"

"You ain't. I am." He quietly, replied. Not bothering to look over at her.

"Merle." She reached over to touch his shoulder, but pulled away when she felt him tense.

"Look, darling, you spent all damn night dancing with that little ex-boyfriend of yours and that's just fine and fucking dandy. So, if you wanna share a damn bed with someone tonight, why don't you just give Shane a call?" He wasn't yelling, instead his voice was clipped and emotionless. He kept his eyes trained on the road the entire time he spoke.

"That's not fair." She snapped. "You said you didn't mind if I danced with him. I didn't do anything wrong. We just danced."

"I ain't the damn guy that's gonna tell you what you can and can't do Andrea, that ain't who the fuck I am." He growled. "I grew up watching my old man tell my mama what she could and couldn't do and when the fuck she could and couldn't do it. And I promised myself a long damn time ago I wouldn't be that person if I was ever dumb enough to let myself fall for someone. And I ain't that person, damn it. I won't be. But just because I say you can do something, that don't fucking mean I'm gonna like it. It don't fucking mean it's the right thing to do just because I don't tell you not to do it."

"I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, Merle." She said, softly. "I didn't know it was going to upset you. Shane doesn't mean anything to me anymore."

"But he did. Didn't he?" He countered, his voice full of resentment.

She didn't answer him. She just turned away and looked out the window, watching the trees and houses as Merle flew down the road towards her house.

"Yeah, that's what I though." He mumbled.

()()()

Merle had decided not to go home after that. He hadn't felt like being all alone in that little ass house. He'd briefly thought about going to a bar and getting drunk, but he thought better of it. He was pissed, and he tended to make stupid decisions when he was pissed and drunk. He didn't want shit with Andrea to get anymore fucked up than it was, so instead, he picked up a twelve pack and decided to go see what Carol and Daryl were up to. He figured he could go over there and bitch and moan while he was drunk. Shit, Daryl kinda owed him a night of putting up with his drunk ass anyway.

When he pulled into the driveway and noticed an unfamiliar car he found himself a little alarmed. The two hadn't mentioned anything about expecting company earlier. He glanced at the license plate as he walked by and noticed a Chattam county sticker on the tag. He racked his brain trying to think about what cities were in Chattam county and wondering who that could be, but then a screaming Carol had him bolting towards the front door.

He'd dropped his twelve pack as soon as he'd heard Carol screaming. She was repeatedly calling out his little brother's name, and not in a good way. He saw the front door was open and ran inside to find his little brother on top of a bloodied man, punching him in the face. Merle looked over at Carol who was standing there screaming and crying and ran and pulled in her for a hug. "What the fuck's going on? Who the hell is that?"

"That's the bastard I was engaged to before I moved home." She choked out, between tears. "He found out I was pregnant somehow. He thinks I'm carrying his baby. Daryl jumped on him. Merle you gotta get him of him, he's going to kill him."

She'd been talking so damn fast Merle barely understood a word she'd said, but he got the he's going to kill him part and he wasn't sure she was wrong. Daryl hadn't even noticed his brother's presence or the screams of his pregnant fiancé. "Call Shane." He told her sternly, knowing Rick was on his way to his honeymoon and couldn't help them out. Then he took off to snatch his brother off the bleeding man, no matter how much he thought the prick deserved it.

Daryl felt someone's arms behind him and started kicking and thrashing, just wanting to be let go of and get back to beating the man's face in. "Get the fuck off me." He snapped. "Let go of me, damn it."

"Shh. Easy, little brother. Easy." Merle whispered, tightening his grip on Daryl so he couldn't get away. "You gotta stop."

"Bullshit." Daryl snapped. "He ain't coming near my family, man. He ain't hurting Carol again. I ain't ever letting him near my little girl."

"I know. I know." Merle agreed, calmly. "He ain't coming near her. He ain't coming near Carol again. I promise. But you gotta calm the fuck down or they're gonna lock your ass up and you ain't gonna be here to see your little girl born. You ain't gonna be here to protect her or Carol. You got that?"

Daryl's chest was heaving and blood was all over his hands and all over his suit. He looked over and noticed Carol for the first time since he went off. She was on the phone with someone and she was crying and he was suddenly aware of how far he'd let shit get out of hand. How much he'd let his anger take control of him. He looked down at the mangled, bloodied mess that was Ed, and suddenly he was fucking terrified of himself in that moment. He stopped fighting to get free from his brother and let the words sink it that he'd just said. Merle was right. If he ended up getting locked up and couldn't be there for Carol or this baby he'd never forgive himself.


	63. Chapter 63

**(Maybe I went a bit far with the last chapter. It seemed like a better idea in my head than it was after I wrote and posted it. I don't know. I plan to wrap this up in the next ten chapters or so. Then again, this is me. So, it could end up taking more time than that. Side note: Tomorrow is my last day of class and for the next few months I should be able to dedicate a lot of time to writing and finishing this and my other story. Assuming that I don't decide to ask to work at the clinic as a tech over summer vacation, anyway. So…I'll shut up now. And here's the next chapter for those of you still reading!)**

Shane had gotten to the house pretty quickly after Carol had called him and told him what was going on. He wasn't in uniform and he wasn't on duty, so there wasn't much he could do. But he stayed there to try and calm Carol down, who was terrified Daryl was going to end up in Jail or prison for assault. He'd checked on Ed. From his assessment, the man would most likely be fine. He could use some stitches and his face was going to be fucked up for a while, but it didn't look like Daryl had done any permanent damange. Shane wasn't a doctor though, and he didn't have the training to know for sure. He just used what he knew from accident training to make a best guest.

He'd be lying if he said he didn't wanna kick the sorry sack of shit while he looked the man over. He'd know Carol since middle school and the thought of that guy laying a hand on her had him heated. He'd worked too many damn cases where he'd come across some woman beat up by her husband or some kid left black and blue by their asshole father. He knew the baby wasn't Daryl's. He'd been there the night that she'd told him she was pregnant at Maggie and Glenn's party. He'd heard him blow up about and yell about her being pregnant with another man's child. But if anyone asked him, he'd lie like hell and say it was to keep that kid away from a man like that.

Shane was outside as the ambulance was loading Ed into the back to get him checked out at a hospital and a fellow officer was taking Daryl down to the station. Police had taken statements from Daryl, Carol, Ed, and Merle. Hell, even Shane had to give on since he got on the scene before the cops arrived. He shot Daryl a sympathetic look as his fellow officer hauled him away, then he walked inside the house where Merle was sitting with an arm around Carol. He walked over and pulled her in for a hug and felt her head fall on his shoulder. "It's gonna be alright. We'll go down there and you can bail him out." He tried to assure her.

She shook her head, unable to stop the tears from falling as all sorts of fears flooded her mind. "It's not, okay, Shane. It's not. What if they put him in jail? What if Ed sues him? What if he sues for custody of my child?"

He ran a comforting hand down her back. "He ain't gonna do that. Daryl told him the baby was his. Everyone else thinks she's his. Stick to that story. They can't prove she isn't right now. I sure as hell ain't saying nothing and you know none of our friends are. Far as I'm concerned I was there the night Daryl knocked you up right after you first moved back home and I'll tell anybody who asks me that, too." He smirked, trying to get her to smile a bit.

She clutched her arms around her old friend as tight as she could. "He can't prove it right now, but he's not stupid. Even he believes I slept with Daryl as soon as I moved back he has to know there'd be a 50/50 chance the baby was his. If he asks for a DNA test she'll come out as his. There wasn't anybody else. God, I wish there was." She sniffled. "I don't know how he found out. I haven't talked to anyone from Savannah since my dad was in the hospital down there and I didn't even know I was pregnant then. Everyone here thinks she belongs to Daryl. I just, I don't understand."

Merle walked up and placed a hand on her shoulder. Earlier in the night he would have wanted to deck Shane for standing this close to him after that Andrea shit, but right now wasn't the time or place and he had other things to worry about. "Listen, darling, we ain't gonna let that little fuck be a part of her life. I promise. One way or the other, we'll find a way to keep him away from her, even if he finds out the truth. But for now, Shane's right. Say she's Daryl's and don't back down about it. I got a feeling he ain't gonna wanna go anywhere near my baby brother for a long time after tonight."

()()()

Merle and Carol had gone down to the station to get Daryl out and Shane had left. He hadn't said where he was going, but he'd told them he'd be in touch and help anyway he could. After Merle dropped a good bit of money he had put up to get his little brother out of jail they'd all gone back to Carol's house.

"I'll pay you back Monday when the bank opens." Daryl mumbled, as he pressed an ice pack to his swollen, cut up knuckles.

"Don't worry about it. She's got a kid on the way and you're gonna have a hell of a fine to pay." Merle insisted.

"Man, I pay my own bills. I got myself into this shit I don't need your money."

"You're gonna be lucky if your hot headed ass don't end up in jail." Merle barked. "She's having a baby, you got that truck payment, you got your half of our payment at the shop, plus whatever they pop to your ass for beating that prick's face in. Let me be fucking nice, damn it. Consider it my early wedding gift."

"Merle I ain't taking your damn mon.." He went to argue but was cut off.

"Enough." Carol snapped. "Both of you stop arguing about money. Just stop it. Okay? " She ran hand through her short hair and let out an exhausted sigh. "Merle, I need a minute with your brother. I love you and I appreciate everything you've done tonight, I do. But, I just need to talk to Daryl….alone. Please."

Merle looked between the couple and gave an understanding nod. He didn't want to leave. He really didn't. And part of that was also because he didn't wanna go home and be alone, but he understood that Carol was upset and that a lot had transpired tonight. The two did have some heavy shit to talk about. "I'll uh. I'll check in with you guys tomorrow." He said, his voice sad and low as he turned to walk off.

"Merle." Carol called out, running and wrapping her arms around his neck tightly. "Thank you, again. For everything.

"That's what family's for." He murmured, letting go of her.

Daryl stood up and walked beside his brother, wrapping an arm around him lightly. "I do appreciate everything you did. Don't ever think I don't."

()()()

She looked out the window, not saying a word until she watched Merle's truck drive off. Once it was gone she went to the kitchen and locked the door for good measure. She looked down at the floor where Ed had been laying earlier and grimaced at the blood stains linin the bottom of her wall. They were definitely going to have to paint over that. As she went to turn the kitchen light off she felt a hand go around her waist and pull her in close. She felt the scruff of Daryl's beard brush her neck as he placed a gentle kiss there.

"I'm sorry." He muttered shamefully against her skin. "I don't know what happened. I just, I fucking lost it when he stepped towards you. I tried to stay calm soon as he said who he was. I swear I did. But when I hit him." He sighed and his head fall on her shoulder. "All I could think about is him putting his hands on you. All I could think about was her." He ran a hand over her belly and choked back a sob in his throat. "All I could think about was what if he got visitation with her and he did shit to her like my old man did to me. I couldn't hear you telling me to stop hitting him. I couldn't hear anything. I was just so mad. I fucking scared the hell out of myself. I ain't never been like before in my entire life."

She placed a hand over his and squeezed it, fighting back her own urge to cry again. "I'm scared Daryl. I'm scared they're gonna lock you up. I'm scared he's gonna try to take everything you worked for. I'm terrified he's going to file for custody. And seeing you so mad, so out of control." She paused, not wanting to make him feel worse, but knowing it needed to be said. "I just…I didn't like seeing that side of you. I don't ever wanna see that side of you again."

He spun her around so she could face him and he lifted her chin so she'd meet his eyes. "I'd never hurt you. I swear to God I'd never hurt you. I'd never hurt her. Please don't ever think that." He pressed his forehead against hers and nuzzled it. "I wouldn't hurt nobody like that. Not unless somebody tried to her you, tried hurt our daughter." He pushed another sob back he could feel rising deep in his throat. He'd known he loved that baby before tonight. He'd realized that a while ago, but he realized tonight that he loved her as if she was his own. That he'd protect her with his life and hurt anyone who posed a threat to her. Just like he would Carol.

She looked up at him tears lining the corner of her eyes. "I know you wouldn't hurt me. I know my you wouldn't hurt the baby. I just…I don't want you spending the rest of your life in jail for attempted murder. I don't want you actually killing him and having to live with that the rest of your life. It's not worth it. I need you here with us. You can't do that again, Daryl. No matter how bad you want to. No matter how mad seeing him makes you. You just can't. For me and for her."

He nodded. He knew she was right. He did. He couldn't let himself get to that level ever again. It fucking scared the hell out of him and if Merle hadn't of show up and pulled him off he didn't know what would have happened. "I'm gonna be here." He promised. "I ain't gonna do nothing that stupid again."

She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest, listening to sound of his heartbeat that was still pumping at a much more rapid pace than it should have been. "You don't have to keep calling her ours she mumbled against his chest. Ed isn't here and neither is anyone who is taking a statement or can use it against you. It's just us."

He pushed her back slightly so he could meet her eyes again. "Hey." He said, softly, but with firm resolution in his voice. "She ain't mine, but she is….I mean, if you're okay with that."

She looked up at him, searching his eyes to make sure this wasn't some emotionally fueled declaration. Something he'd change his mind about a few months down the road. "Daryl, you don't have to do that." She began.

"I know I don't." He said, cutting her off. "I wanna be her daddy. I mean shit, I already kinda am. I go to all your appointments. I bought a truck because I knew we needed it for her, I feel her kick every night, I'm gonna be there when she's born and every single day of her life after. I wanna give her everything I never had. I love her, and she ain't even here yet. I can't imagine how I'll feel when I finally see her."

She took a deep breath, feeling overwhelmed by his words and this whole entire night. She gripped his waist tightly and buried her head against his chest again. "If you want that then I'm perfectly fine with you being her daddy. And if you change your mind before she get here that's okay, too. I'm not going to hold it against you."

He nodded and buried his head beside her neck. "I ain't going to."

She sucked in a deep breath, taking her mind back to things they needed to talk about right now. As touched as she was that he wanted to actually be a father to this child, they would have to deal with that later. They had things that couldn't wait right now. Something they needed to deal with sooner rather than later "We need to get a lawyer. We need to find out if he has a case to try and claim her. I can't let him have her, Daryl. I just can't. Maybe that makes me a horrible person for keeping a child from her biological father, but if it does so be it. I won't ever give him a chance to hurt her. I'd kill him myself before I ever let that happen."

"It ain't gone come to that." He replied, firmly, bringing his hand up and resting it on the back of her head. "Michonne, she does marriage and family law. We'll talk to her first thing tomorrow. Find out where we stand with things. I promise, it's all gonna be alright."


	64. Chapter 64

**(Sorry that it's been a minute on this one. I'm taking some time to catch up. Fair warning, some stuff may sound a bit far-fetched here. I actually did take the time to look up some stuff and thangs constituting what makes a man a father in the eyes of the law. Not sure if those vary by state or not and I'm a little over research after this semester. But I did try and find some valid things to put in here. Oh, and I hate how much I've made Carol cry in this. Like, I fee evil for the emotional hell I've made her endure. Lol.)**

Carol sat in the passenger seat of Daryl's truck, nervously shaking her leg, as she and Daryl made their way to Michonne's house that afternoon. She'd called her friend earlier in the day to see if she had time to talk to them regarding some legal issues and the baby. Michonne didn't have time to schedule any last minute appointments, but offered to let them stop by the house this evening if they wanted to. Of course Carol had readily agreed and thanked her friend a million times. Now, as they were pulling in Michonne's driveway, a million scenarios were running through her head. She was terrified Michonne would tell her that there was nothing that they could. That if Ed wanted to, he had every right to see this child. And she didn't know what the hell she'd do if that was the case.

"Hey." Daryl said, softly, as he placed a gentle hand on her leg. "It's all gonna be alright. We're gonna figure this out and find a way to keep that asshole away from her."

Carol covered his hand in hers and gave him a weak smile. She knew he was trying to make her feel better, she knew he wanted Ed out of the picture, but she couldn't let herself get her hopes up about it. Not yet. "You ready?" She asked.

He nodded and reached over to open the door, hopping out of the truck. He met her on the other side and wrapped an arm around her waist as the two of the made their way to Michonne's front door.

()()()

Michonne had opened the door for her friends and pulled them both in for a hug. The pained look on both their faces was almost enough to break her heart. She welcomed them inside and listened intently as they re-called the events of the last 24 hours to her. Then she listened as Carol recalled first hand to her about why she'd moved home and everything that had gone on with Ed while she was with him. The story hit a little too close to home. She knew some of the things Daryl and Merle had gone through, and she damn sure didn't want her friend's daughter growing up with a father anything like Will Dixon. "You never called the cops on him? You never reported anything or told any of your friends down there what was happening?" She asked, once Carol was done talking.

She shook her head shamefully. "The first time I just told myself he was drunk. That he wouldn't ever do that sober. Then the second time…I just…I called Lori and decided to get the hell out of there. I didn't wanna have to wait around for a trail. I just wanted to be away from him for good. To be done with him."

Michonne nodded, thinking things through carefully in her head. "And you told him you were the baby's father." She looked over at Daryl.

He nodded. "Merle kinda did, too. Or something like that. I was going off about her being my kid and him not hurting her and Merle said if I didn't calm my ass down I wouldn't be around to see my daughter born."

"Pretty much everyone in the county thinks she's his." Carol pointed out. "You know that Michonne. Even Daryl's dad."

Michonne grew quiet and sucked in a deep breath. "If you would have called the cops, if you would have had some type of record, or someone to corroborate what he'd done, it would really be helpful in keeping him away from her. Courts don't usually rule in favor of abusive parents. He'd be mandated to go to classes and therapy. He'd be limited to supervised visitation at best and you could even try for full custody."

Daryl watched as his Carol's face fell and she placed an instinctive hand over her belly. He reached over and covered his hand with his own. "There's gotta be something we can do, Michonne. Come on, you gotta know something."

She pursed her lips together and ran a hand over her face. "Everything I'm about to say to you isn't as a lawyer. Okay? I'm not a lawyer the next five minutes. I'm saying this as your friend, your friend who just happens to know the law."

The other two nodded in agreement and prepared themselves to listen to what she had to say.

"A man is considered to be a child's father if he and the child's mother are or were married to each other, and the child is born during the marriage or within 300 days after the marriage has ended."

Daryl looked over at Carol quickly then back to Michonne. "So that's it? We just need to get married? Done. Hell we're engaged anyway."

"No." Carol stated firmly. "

"What the hell do you mean no?" He barked. "We were just talking about starting to plan our wedding before the asshole showed up last night. If that's what it takes to keep him from our daughter then I'm all for it. We can go to court house right fucking now."

"And we both agreed that that's not what we wanted." She countered.

"Yeah, but."

"Daryl." She groaned. "I don't wanna fight with you about this. I don't, but I love you and I don't want to remember the day I married you as the day I had to marry you to keep my abusive ex away from my child. I want that day to be about us. About how much we love each other."

"There's one other way." Michonne interrupted.

The two both quieted down and gave them her full attention again.

"A man is also considered to be the father of a child if he is listed on the birth certificate and signs it. That's basically the man declaring himself as the father and agreeing to support the child." When she's born, whoever signs that birth certificate is considered to be her father."

Daryl nodded and started nervously shaking his leg. "That ain't a problem. I wanna be her daddy anyway. I am her daddy. I don't give a shit about blood. That's my baby, Michonne."

Carol was quiet, too quiet. That sounded too easy. Way too easy. "Even if Daryl signs the birth certificate, even if we swear up and down to Ed and anyone who asks that this baby belongs to Daryl. Can Ed still demand a DNA test? Can a judge order me to give him one?"

Michonne cocked her head and took a deep breath. "Technically, yes. If there is enough evidence to presume that the man claiming to be the father could indeed be a candidate, then yes. A judge could order a paternity test to be done….I won't sugar coat this, Carol. You lived with the man. You were engaged to him. A judge very well could order a DNA test based on that."

She felt her head fall and looked over as she watched Daryl sling an arm in frustration and curse under his breath. It was as if a light bulb went off in Carol's head at that moment. "I was on the pill when I was with Ed. He knows that. He knows I took it religiously. When I moved back I was on my inactive pills and I didn't ever re-fill them. Could that help my case in anyway?"

Michonne shrugged. "It could. I was at that party a week after you moved back. You were all over Daryl. I remember him carrying you to a bedroom and the next morning I woke up and he was shirtless and you were wearing his tank top." She smirked mischievously, but then let her face grow serious again. "A man generally has until the child is five to question paternity as long as a presumed father exists. If Daryl doesn't sign the birth certificate he can come back anytime and ask for a DNA test."

()()()

The two of the stayed with Michonne a while longer discussing things and eventually leaving so she could go meet up with the man she'd met at the wedding named Morgan. She seemed pretty smitten with this guy, and Carol couldn't be happier for her. She was thankful to Michonne for all the advice, but she was still worried about how it was all going to play out. Michonne had also told her if Ed came around and she could prove he wasn't fit to have a child, didn't have a proper place for one that it could work in her favor. As a friend, she'd pretty much advised her to say this baby was a Dixon. She did warn her that she could get in trouble for lying, but no one could prove she hadn't slept with Daryl and didn't think this child was his.

Daryl had stopped and picked up a pizza for the two of them and after they'd eaten they curled up on the couch together. He'd put a movie on, but he was sure neither of them were paying attention to it. He nestled his chin into the crook of her shoulder and kissed her neck softly. "I'm gonna sign the birth certificate. He ain't gonna wanna come around. Don't worry."

She took a deep breath. She could feel that her voice was going to come out shaky and she almost didn't wanna bring this up, but she had to. She had to know he knew how serious this was. That once it was done, there was no turning back. "The moment you sign that paper, that's it. She's your daughter for life. No matter what happens between us, she's yours. I need to know you can handle that before I agree to let you sign it. The moment your name is on that paper, this is it. For life, she's yours."

He sighed heavily. He hated she didn't understand how serious he took this. That she still somewhat had this allusion he was going to freak out one day and just up and leave. He knew why, but he wished like hell it would go away. That she would understand much he loved her, how much he loved this child, that he'd never hurt her again and he'd never hurt this baby. "I know that." He mumbled. "And ain't nothing happening between us. This has all been for life since I put that damn ring on your finger, woman. Hell, it's been for life since you told me you loved me and wanted to be with me. I ain't leaving you and I ain't leaving that little girl." He wrapped his arms around her belly and placed a kissed on her collar bone. "Not ever."


	65. Chapter 65

When Merle got home from work that evening he was surprised to find Andrea sitting in his living room. Her car wasn't there and as far as he knew she didn't have a key to his place. He sure as hell hadn't given her one. He hadn't bothered speaking to her since he dropped her off the night before at the wedding. He'd been dodging her calls and doing his best to keep his mind off her and keep himself busy all day. He was still pretty pissed about the Shane thing. "How the hell did you get in here?" He rasped.

She shrugged her shoulders and grinned at him. "You're not the only one who knows how to pick locks."

He hummed and walked to his fridge, pulling out a beer and popping the cap off the bottle. He took a long swig before stepping back in the living room with her. "What you want Andrea? I had a hell of a fucking night and I ain't go the damn energy to fight with your ass today."

Her face fell at his words. Assuming he'd gone out and done something stupid to get some type of revenge on her for dancing with Shane. She forced herself to steady her voice and keep her features schooled. "What did you do last night after you dropped me off last night?"

He sighed and took another long swig of his beer. "I bailed my little brother out of fucking jail."

"What! Why in the hell did Daryl get put in jail?"

"Carol's ex showed up. Don't know if he'd heard about her being pregnant or not and that's why he came in the first damn place, but he sure as shit knew after he saw her ass. Daryl fucking lost it. Beat the guys face in. I had to pull him off the son bitch. He wouldn't have stopped if I didn't show up."

Andrea clamped a hand over her mouth. "Oh my God. Poor Carol. They can't catch a break. As soon as things are going good for them something has to happen."

"Yep." He muttered, drinking the last of his beer and standing up to grab another. "It's a giant fucking shit storm with those two."

"What's gonna happen with Daryl? Is the guy gonna prosecute? Did he provoke him? Does Ed want the baby?" She stammered.

"The dude yelled at Carol or some shit like that and started storming in the house. I don't know how all that legal shit works. I guess Daryl needs to come talk to you or someone at your firm about it. I know they were supposed to talk to Michonne today about what to do about the baby. Daryl told Ed it was his as he pounded his fucking face in."

She nodded. Taking all of this in and feeling the weight it had to be putting on her friends. "You think he believes him?"

"I don't know. He don't sound like the sharpest tool in the shed, but it don't take a mathematician to figure out the kid could be his. Even if he believes she came down here and fucked my brother first chance she got, he's gotta know there's a possibility the kid's his." Merle let his head fall back and hit the couch. "I hate this fucking shit for them. I really do. They both love that little girl already, and they don't want that kid around what we went through. Hell the kid don't deserve to go through what we did. No body fucking does."

Her brows furrowed and frown lined her face. She reached out and touched Merle's shoulder. "I'll help you guys figure something out. There's gotta be some law out there to keep him away from her. We won't let that happen."

He tensed and pulled away from her. Talking to her about all this was making him feel better, but her touch suddenly had him remembering how mad he'd been at her. "Damn it, Andrea. Don't fucking touch me right now!" He hissed.

She let out a frustrated sigh and shot up from her seat. "Stop it, Merle. I didn't do anything wrong with Shane. I danced with him. That was it. Okay? And you said you didn't care. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I really didn't."

"Well fuck. That just fixes every damn thing. Thanks." He replied, sarcastically.

She rolled her eyes at him. He could be such a child sometimes. She understood he was jealous. She understood she'd hurt him. Maybe she shouldn't have danced with Shane, but at the time she hadn't known it would upset him this much. She softened her tone and took a seat beside the man. "Shane was a big part of my past. He was. And there was a time that I cared a lot about him. Maybe I even loved him. But he didn't love me. And whether he knew it or not, he hurt the hell out of me back then. And I guess for a long time I held out hope he'd grow up or decide he wanted to settle down and I was hoping he'd realize he wanted to that with me." She shook her head and laughed to herself. "Then I slept with you at that party and everything changed. We started hanging out and we kept sleeping together and I found myself not thinking about Shane settling down one day anymore. I was hoping you'd decide that you wanted to. And then you came to me and told me you wanted to give this a try. A real try and I couldn't have been happier. I can't remember the last time I was happy as I was these past six months. I wouldn't screw that up Merle. I wouldn't hurt you on purpose." She paused, feeling her stomach twist at the thought of saying what she was about to say. "I love you." She managed to get out in a shaky tone."

"What?" Merle said, raising an eyebrow.

"You heard what I said." She replied, crossing her arms over her chest and not being willing to be that open with him again. It was way out her nature to get that fucking sappy in the first place.

"You shitting me right now?" He asked.

She shook her head and sighed. "You don't have to say it back. It's okay. I just wanted you to know."

He grinned from ear to ear and pressed his lips against hers catching her by surprise. When he pulled away from her he was still grinning. "I do, you know?"

This time she quirked an eyebrow at him. "Yeah?"

"Mhm. I love you, too." He mumbled quietly.

()()()

A knock at the door late that evening had Daryl groaning as he pulled his lips from Carol's. They were in the midst of a heated make-out session that had stemmed from a few innocent kisses. She'd already pulled his shirt off and was in the midst of working the buttons of his pants when they'd be interrupted by the knocking. "I'm never getting laid again." He whined as he climbed off of her. Ed's presence had interrupted last night's attempts and all the frustrations he had built up about everything going on had him wanting some physical release. Besides, he doubted a screaming infant would do much for their sex life. He wanted to get as much sex in as possible before this baby came.

She snorted and reached down to grab his shirt for him. "Just send whoever it is home. Tell them I'm not feeling well."

He took his shirt and slipped it on over his head. Panic setting in for a brief moment. He worried Ed had made his way back here despite the beating he'd given the man yesterday. He didn't mind getting a few more hits on him if he came here showing his ass, but he didn't want Carol upset more than she had been about everything and he didn't want to end up back in jail and make things worse. When he looked out the window he noticed a police cruiser and cursed himself. He was expecting to get some type of civil suit from the man. He felt relieved when he opened the door and it was just Shane standing there in uniform. "What's going on man?" Daryl asked, stepping aside to let him inside.

Shane ran a hand over his short hair. "Can we talk?"

Daryl felt his stomach twist in knots, but nodded. He led the man to the living room where Carol was sitting on the couch. He didn't miss the worried look that lined her face at Shane's presence.

"Everything alright?" She asked, sliding over so both men could have a seat.

"I talked to Ed today myself. Paid him a little visit at the hopsita." He informed them.

"What'd the fucker have to say?" Daryl barked.

"He wants to press charges against you for what you did. It might go to court."

"What will happen to him if it does?" Carol asked worriedly.

Shane shrugged. "It's his first time ever being in trouble. Best case he pays a pretty big fine."

"Worst case?" She pressed.

"A few months jail time."

"So he might not be here when the baby's born?"

Shane held up a hand. "Don't worry about all that right now. It ain't good for you and it ain't good for that little girl you're carrying. Y'all got friends in high places, alright? Just trust old Shane and let him handle things. Rick, too, when he gets home. We got your back."

Daryl ran a hand across the bottom of his chin and grabbed Carol's hand with his free one. "I know you guys go our back. I ain't worried about that. Ain't no fucking body keeping me from her and this kid….What else did he say when you were there?"

"He asked me point blank if I knew Carol. He recognized me from some pictures he'd seen when you were living with him. He pieced together that you knew Daryl before, too. Asked me if he was the son of a bitch you lost your virginity to."

"You told him about me?" Daryl asked, turning to Carol.

She shook her head. "Not really. Not much. We had the talk of who all we'd slept with before. I told him I lost mine to my best friend before he moved away. I told him I always loved you, but never told you. Then you moved away and we didn't keep in touch. I didn't tell him anything else."

"He asked me whose kid she was carrying." Shane continued. "He asked me how long you two had been together."

"What'd you say?" Daryl replied, worrying if Shane felt bound to be honest with the man because he was an officer of the law.

"I told him you two ran into each other a few days after Carol moved back. I ain't seen you two apart much since then and that I was at a party with you guys about a week after she moved back and she ended up in your arms that night and the next thing I knew the two of you were going to a room together. You got engaged right after Christmas and found out she was pregnant on New Year's Eve. I let him know I was there for that, too."

"Technically none of that was a lie." She laughed. Thinking Shane was pretty clever and hoping he painted a convincing story. "Do you think he still thinks the baby could be his?"

"I don't know." He replied, honestly. "The dude didn't seem happy to know all of that. He asked me if you were cheating on him with Daryl and if that's why you left."

"That son of a bitch." Carol snapped. "I never fucking cheated on him. I should have."

Shane laughed. "I told him he knew damn well why you left and if I ever caught him putting his hands on you I'd make sure I left him worse off than Daryl did." Shane paused and looked at both of them. "He found out because someone put pictures of Lori's wedding on Facebook. A picture of her and all the bridesmaids. You and that belly were showing in all its glory."

"How? I'm not friends with him on there. No one I know is."

"Yeah, well some girl named Elaine or some shit saw it. She went to school with someone at the wedding who posted a picture. Someone who came with one of Lori's distant cousins or something like that. He said he flipped out when Elaine sent him a screen shot and captioned it congratulations. I didn't know you were going to be a daddy. The dude said he looked you up online and hauled ass here."

"That fucking bitch. If was I wasn't pregnant I'd go beat the hell out of her." Carol hissed.


	66. Chapter 66

**(Next time I start writing a new story without finishing the other one someone kick me! I always get behind on one when I do that. I've already got ideas for new stories, but I simply refuse to start them until I finish this and My Best Friend's Sister. I really want to finish this story, because even though I don't think it's as well liked as my other one, it's really special to me. Anyway, enjoy and sorry for the wait. Thanks for reading and reviewing!)**

Two months had passed by since Lori and Rick's wedding. And that meant that it had been two whole months since Ed had shown up at Carol's house. Since Daryl had beat the hell out of the guy. Since Ed found out without a doubt that Carol was pregnant. And a lot had happened in those two months.

Daryl had gone to court for the fight almost a month to the day it happened. He'd had to sit across from the man in the courtroom and fight every single urge he had in him to do the same exact thing again. Carol had been standing beside Daryl in the courtroom that day, holding his hand and hoping for the best. All the while being scared to death that he'd end up serving some time in jail. Despite Rick, Shane and Andrea assuring her that he'd be fine and get a light punishment. After all, he'd never been in trouble before and he'd felt that Ed had been there to harm her and the baby.

Carol's parents had been there, too. She'd told them they hadn't had to come, but they'd insisted. They'd known from talking to her on the phone how stressed she'd been about everything and they wanted to be there to support them. Her dad had even offered to pay any fine he might succumb to, but they'd both refused to let him. Daryl still wasn't happy that Merle had bailed him out that night and refused to let him pay him back for it. So he'd been adamant that Carol's dad wasn't going to foot a dime for any penalty he might have to pay. He'd gotten himself into this with his temper and pent up anger towards the man, and he was going to pay the price. But to him, whatever the amount was going to be was worth it. Because he'd gotten so much satisfaction out of inflicting pain on the man he knew put his hands on the woman he loved. Looking back, it still scared him a bit how out of control he'd gotten because of it. But he kept reminding himself that he'd only lost it because he felt that the man was a threat to Carol and to the baby.

And he'd kept telling Carol that everything would be okay. That he'd pay a fine, maybe end up on probation, but that at the end of the day he'd be going home with her. That he'd be at her check-up the next week. That he'd be with her when the baby was born in two more months. That Ed would go home to Savannah and they'd never have to deal with him again. That he'd believed that the baby was Daryl's and he wasn't going to put up a fight. He'd told her all that, because she'd needed to hear it. Because he didn't want the stress to affect her health or the health of the baby. And because he honestly hoped like hell it was all true. But he'd secretly been terrified that he'd get the maximum penalty, which was a year in jail. He'd been secretly terrified Ed would sue the fuck out of him and try to take all he had. That he'd file a custody suit and demand a paternity test. That because Daryl had lost his temper like that it would cause a judge to side with Ed once the test actually did prove the child was biologically his.

And when the day came and he'd stood in front of that judge with Carol on one side of him and Andrea on the other acting as his lawyer. With Merle and her parents in the courtroom with them. He'd been elated to hear the judge only give him a fine and six months of probation. He'd been even more elated to hear the judge instill a restraining order between Ed and both Daryl and Carol. And though Ed had an outburst about the fact that Carol was carrying what he said he believed was child, the judge had told him that matter would have to be taken up in family court and if Carol said the baby wasn't his that he'd need a court order to pursue the matter.

And to be honest, they'd both been prepared for just that. They'd assumed they'd be served with papers regarding the matter shortly after the court date. They'd talked about it a lot, they'd talked with Michonne about it a lot, and they'd talked to their family and friends about it a lot. And everyone was ready to fight like hell to keep him out of that little girl's life. To keep her in a safe, loving environment away from anyone who might cause her harm.

But the days turned into weeks, and they still hadn't gotten any type of child custody court order. No civil suite either. No word whatsoever from Ed or his lawyer. And though they were still prepared for it, though they still worried it would come, they both decided to stop letting it consume them. To stop letting it be the main thing they talked about. Besides, they had more important things to tend to. Like getting ready for the baby.

Carol was eight months along now, and she looked every bit of it. It wasn't that she had gained a lot of weight. But her belly was quite round and it almost looked like she had a basketball under there where her little girl was happily growing. And happy she was. She kicked and moved around all the time. In fact, sometimes she'd stretch her little hands or feet against Carol's belly and you could actually see her tiny fingers and toes or other body parts. It was one of the most amazing things Carol had ever seen and she loved to reach down and touch her daughter's hand. The closer the day got, the more she couldn't wait to hold her in her arms. To see her face. To hear her cries.

Each time she'd hold a baby in NICU that longing would intensify. Each time one of the infants would grip their tiny hands around her finger or she'd pick them up and soothe their cries, she couldn't help but think how she'd be doing that with her own daughter soon. She almost couldn't believe how unsure she'd been about this entire thing back when she first found out. It wasn't that long ago, but yet the memory of that feeling was so distant in her mind. To think for a second how she had almost decided not to do this. That she couldn't do this, it just blew her mind. Then sometimes she'd remember the strain it had put on her relationship. How she honestly at one point had no idea how it would survive this and that she was sure this child would cost her the love of her life. Remembering the look of hurt and pain in Daryl's eyes each time he used to touch her belly and go to those appointments with her. A look that had long since been replaced with pure adoration and love.

And she was so thankful for that, so thankful. And each time he kissed her belly, or protectively ran his hands over it, or whispered something to the unborn child when he thought she was asleep. She swore she fell in love with him even harder. Because he didn't have to be here. He didn't have to love this child. But he did, he really did. And the baby seemed to already love him, too. She would kick harder when she heard his voice, when she felt his touch. Even the doctor had pointed that out during their last appointment. She and Daryl had been having a conversation about something while he was doing the ultrasound and the baby had been doing summersaults in her uterus. When they'd stopped talking she'd stilled herself. Then they'd started talking again and she'd returned to her acrobatic activities. Once they'd stopped talking she'd stilled again, and Eugene had asked them to do that again and watch the screen. They'd been confused and not known what the hell he was talking about and he'd told them to just talk to each other and look at the screen. They'd done as he said and had been amazed to notice how active the little girl had become.

Eugene had pulled her to the side at the end of the appointment to tell her how happy he was to see how much Daryl had come around about the pregnancy. To comment on how good it was to see him grinning at the screen at his daughter. And though he'd confessed the man still intimidated the hell out of him, that he was confident he'd be a good father now that he'd gotten used to the idea. He then assured her that she was going to be a hell of a mother herself and that this was one lucky ass kid. He told her he could tell the baby already loved both of her parents by the way she responded to each ot their voices and that she seemed happiest and most active when they talked to each other. And she had just hugged him and choked back tears at that, because that's all she ever wanted for the baby. It's all she'd ever wanted when she'd ever thought about having children one day.

()()()

"My feet are so swollen." Carol sighed, as she came home from work one night.

"Come here." Daryl said, patting the couch he was lounging on. He moved to a sitting position as Carol took a seat beside him and kicked her shoes off. "Lay down." He motioned to her.

She did as he said and let out a deep breath. She was exhausted, her back hurt, her feet wore sore, and she knew that it would only get worse as the last three or four weeks of the pregnancy stretched out.

He grabbed her feet in his hands and started to gently rub them. She was so damn hard headed sometimes. She could go out on maternity leave already if she wanted to. Eugene had told her he'd write her medical leave at their appointment last week, but she'd refused. "You know it ain't too late to take Eugene up on that offer."

"Uh uh." She groaned out. "I love my job and the people I work with. Besides, I'm still able to work. I'm perfectly healthy. The baby's perfectly healthy. There's no reason for me not to be there."

He scowled at her as he massaged her feet harder. "This ain't a damn reason? Your back hurting like hell ain't a reason?"

"It's just a part of it." She yawned out. "I'd go crazy sitting in this house all day by myself. You know I've constantly gotta be doing something."

He just shrugged. "You could sit at the shop with me and Merle. You could go to the café and hang out with Lori."

She reached down and covered his hand with hers, giving him a small smile. "I'd still just be sitting there. I love my job and the people I work with. Besides, it keeps me distracted and I don't worry about pushing this thing out of me." She pointed to her belly and giggled a little to herself. The closer she got to her due date the more she worried about the actual labor part. She didn't really have anyone to ask what expect when it came down to it. None of her close friends had kids and her mom had delivered her via C-section.

He ran his thumb over her hand and grinned at her. "I hear the needles for the epidural are huge."

She pinched him and he let out yelp. "You're not helping you asshole. You know I hate needles."

He grinned again and move his hands into a circle. "Merle said you're junk is gonna be like this after she's born and that it'll be like throwing a hot dog down a hallway."

She pulled her foot back and kicked him hard. "You're hot dog isn't coming anywhere near my hallway after that comment. Jerk." She huffed.

He reached down and pulled her up to him, carefully situating her into his lap. He grinned some more as he watched her poke her lips out at him and he moved to press a kiss against them. "I'm just playing, sweetheart. And I'll be right there with you during everything and when it's over you'll have our perfect little girl in your arms and it'll all be worth it."

She nuzzled against his neck and wrapped her arms around him. "Perfect?" She grinned. "This kid is gonna get away with anything."

He hummed to himself. "She's your daughter. That makes her perfect to me. I can already tell she's gonna be just like you."

"Oh, stop."

"I'm serious." He replied, tightening his grip around her. "You're everything to me." He got out barely above a whisper. "She is, too."

She ran pushed herself upright and moved to look him in the eyes, gently kissing his lips as she did so. "I love you so damn much." She said and once she pulled away she ran her hand across his face. And she did. She really did. She always had.

He moved his hands over her belly and smiled. "I love you, too Carol Pelitier, soon to be Dixon, and I love you too, Sophia Jade Dixon."

She placed her hands next to his own, feeling the movement of the baby underneath them. "I'm glad we finally decided on name." She laughed. "I was starting to worry she'd get here and we still wouldn't know what the hell to call her."

He snorted. "It's what you always said you'd name your first daughter when we were younger. I can't believe it wasn't the first thing you went to."

"I still can't believe I told you that once and you remembered it."

"How could I forget?" He chuckled.

 _****Flashback****_

 _Carol had ridden home from school with Daryl that day and he'd gotten out of his car and followed her inside. They were long past inviting each other over. When one of them wanted to hang out they sort of just showed up at the other persons place. And they practically spent every day together anyway, so she thought nothing of it as he followed her inside after school that day._

" _Where's your mom?" He asked, as he went for the fridge to find an after school snack._

 _She shrugged as she walked beside him and ducked underneath his arm to grab a soda. "Don't know." She replied, popping the cap back and taking a sip. She smirked at him and raised an eyebrow when he closed the refrigerator door with sandwich supplies in hand. "Why? You wanna screw around?"_

 _She said stuff like that all the damn time. And each time he'd turn a shade of bright red and shrug her off. It embarrassed the hell out of him. And though she didn't know it, he secretly thought about saying yes all the time. Because he damn sure wanted to. But he knew she was just kidding and the she loved to get a rise out of him. And he wasn't about to make an ass of himself by saying yes. "Stop." He scoffed, tossing the sandwich meat on the counter and reaching for the bread._

" _Not until I get you in bed." She chuckled._

 _He gave her a quick scowl and then focused his eyes on his sandwich. I wish, he thought to himself as he made himself something to eat._

 _After he'd made his food they'd gone to her room to hang out. He was flipping through the channels on the TV and she was thumbing through some teen magazine. His head was resting at her feet as he settled on some fishing show._

" _What would you name your kid you ever had one?" She asked, not bothering to look up from her magazine._

 _His head jerked around so fast he was surprised it didn't pop off. "What?"_

" _If you had kids. What would you name them?" She repeated. "A girl name and a boy name."_

 _He looked at her like she had two heads. "I'm not fucking having kids. And I don't think about shit like that no way."_

" _Stop. You are so having kids one day."_

" _No the hell I ain't." He snorted._

 _She rolled her eyes at him, but didn't argue. Instead she decided to give him her opinion. "I want a little girl one day. I'd name her Sophia. I've always really liked that name."_

 _He blinked at her several times and shook his head. "You wanna know what I think?" He said softly._

 _She pulled her eyes from the magazine and nodded at him curiously._

" _I think you should hang out with Lori, Maggie, Andrea and Michonne more and I should hang out with Rick, Glenn and Shane more."_

" _You're the one who followed me home today." She scowled at him and hit him with the pillow as hard as she could._

 _He laughed and snatched it away from her, hitting her back several times before she lunged at him. The two wrestled around on the bed, laughing before he eventually ended up on top of her, both of them breathless from all of the rolling around they'd been doing. He paused over her, feeling the air grow serious between them and praying she couldn't feel the erection he was starting to get._

 _She looked up at him, her eyes darker than normal and then she licked her lips. "You change your mind and wanna screw around? We can trying to make little Sophia now?" She saw the color drain from his face and she busted out laughing._

 _He pushed himself off of her and rolled onto his side, moving his eyes back to the fishing show on the television. "Stop." He muttered, as she continued her fit of laughter._

 _***End Flashback***_

She smiled and locked her fingers with his. "You scared so easy back then."

"Stop it." He muttered.

She turned around to face him and straddled herself over his lap. She pulled him in for a kiss, one that started off slow and sweet, then deepened, turning hungry and forceful. She felt his fingertips dig into her thighs and she grinned against his lips. "Wanna screw around?"

"Yes, ma'am." He growled, pulling her further into him.


	67. Chapter 67

**(Thanks for reading and reviewing. I think there's probably about five or so more chapters until this one is done. Just a heads up for anyone wondering.)**

Carol, Andrea and Michonne had gone out for a girl's day. She only had about two weeks left to go in the pregnancy, so she was sure that she probably wouldn't be getting out again for a while. The three of them had gotten their nails done and had their eyebrows waxed. After that they'd roamed the mall, though Carol didn't really buy anything. She felt like there was nothing else to buy right now.

She'd had her baby shower the weekend before and they'd pretty much gotten everything they needed for the baby between all of their family and friends. Diapers, clothes, bottles, bouncers, burp cloths, pacifiers, you name it and someone had bought it for them. Her parents had even bought them a really expensive swing that played music. She and Daryl had already picked out a crib and bedding before that. It was still just waiting to be put together. But they had time. She hadn't been showing any signs of being anywhere near being in labor at her last appointment. The baby hadn't even turned, and she'd been a little worried at first, but he'd assured her she would turn when she was ready. He even told her that some women go a little past their due date with the first pregnancy. And even though she wanted her daughter to be as healthy as possible, she was miserable at this point and just ready for Sophia to get here. It was summer, and it had been a particularly humid one at that, and it was almost unbearable to be out in that kind of heat while practically feeling like she was ready to pop.

And though it was later in the evening as she and the girls pulled up to her house, even the short walk from the car to her front door had her sweating bullets and she couldn't wait to get inside of her air conditioned home. She'd had fun today, but she was exhausted from all the walking they'd done and her back was really bothering her. She really wanted to soak in a hot bath and then see if Daryl would massage her lower back until she fell asleep. But that was going to have to wait, because when she'd called him to see if she should pick something up for them to eat tonight on the way home he had told her that Merle stopped by and the two of them were grilling. Which more than likely meant Daryl was grilling while Merle sat there drinking beer and tried to tell him he was doing it all wrong. While they were on the phone he'd told her to see if Andrea and Michonne wanted to eat with them, and they'd both told her they'd love to.

When she walked into the house the smell of potatoes, corn on the cob, and steak filled her nose and her mouth instantly watered. Her soon to be husband was walking through the kitchen with a big plate that looked like it was fresh off the grill. "Smells good." She told him, giving him a small smile.

"It's gonna taste even better than it looks." He grinned back. He placed the tray down and grabbed her by the hand, pulling her in for a kiss.

"Get a room already." Michonne joked as she watched the two act like a couple of high schoolers.

He just lifted his hand and flipped her off as he pulled his lips away from Carol's. He then looked back at Carol and brushed the side of her face with his hand as he spoke to her softly. "I got something to show you."

"What is it?" She asked him curiously.

"You'll see. Just close your eyes and take my hand."

She looked over and saw Michonne and Andrea grinning from ear to ear, as if they knew something she didn't. "You're not gonna throw me in the pool are you?" She asked hesitantly. "

He just snorted at that and grabbed her by the hand. "Come on. Just trust me."

She did as he said and closed her eyes, letting him lead her through the house. He'd even moved one hand over her eyes as he led her for good measure to make sure she didn't look. Though she didn't see the point. She'd grown up in this house. She knew her way around it like that back of her hand and she knew where he'd led her without being able to see. "Can I open my eyes now?" She chuckled, once they came to a stop and she heard him open the door.

"Mhm." He replied, slipping his hand away that had been covering her eyes,

"Oh my God." She gasped, clasping her hand over her mouth at the sight before her. There she was, in her daughter's room, and it had a fresh coat of pink paint on the walls. The crib was completely put together, with the bedding fully made. The dresser that had been her own growing up was sitting in the corner of the room, fully restored and looking brand new. Curtains that matched the crib bedding hung from the windows. There was a wooden rocking chair in another corner of the room, with the blanket Dale had given them resting in the back of it. And then, spread throughout the room, were her parents, Lori and Rick, Shane, Glenn and Maggie, and Merle. "Did you…did you all do this? Her voice was overcome with emotion as she stood there in front of the people she loved most. "And what are y'all doing here?" She said, looking at her parents. "I thought you were going to stay in Pooler with Aunt Francis until Sophia was born."

"We were." Her mother spoke up. But we talked about it and decided that we wanted to be close by in case she decided to come a little earlier. We didn't wanna be hours away when you went into labor. We wanted to be able to get to that hospital in under ten minutes."

Her dad jumped in. "We're staying at the RV Park near the river. We don't wanna intrude on the last few weeks you and Daryl have alone together. But we really wanna be here, baby girl. This is our first grandchild. It's your daughter. We don't wanna miss a thing."

"Daryl called all of us over and asked us to help get things set up today." Rick added. "He wanted to surprise you. Daryl, Merle, Shane Glenn and your dad and I did everything in here." Lori, Maggie and your mom organized all the diapers by size and got them set up in those closet for you. Wipes too. They put all the clothes in the drawers, they cleaned the bottles. Then Daryl and your dad fired up the grill while the rest of us went through and started cleaning the house for you. We know you're gonna be tired when she gets here."

"You all didn't have to do that." She choked back tears as she said it and turned and wrapped her arms around Daryl.

"We wanted to do it." Lori assured her. "Honey, you've had a hell of a year and I know how much stress you've been under. It's the least we could do. It was nothing."

"Besides." Glenn said. "It gave us all an excuse to get together and hang out. How often does that really happen?"

"Our job was to distract you." Andrea smirked, nudging Michonne who was doing the same.

"I just…I can't believe you all did this for me." She moved her hand over her belly. "For us."

"What can we say? We fucking love you, darling." Merle grinned.

Daryl leaned down and kissed her on the forehead pulling her closer to him. He could tell she was on the verge of tears, but they were happy tears and he'd take those over all the sad tears he'd seen her cry the last nine months any day. "What do you think? Do you like it?"

Her eyes lit up and a huge smile plastered her face. "I…" But before she could finish her sentence she felt a popping sensation, followed by a gush of liquid that caused her eyes to widen and dart to her lower half causing her to squeal. "I think my water just broke."

Daryl looked down, noticing the abundance of clear liquid on the wood floor and the wet stains on her clothes. "The baby's coming? But it ain't time yet. She ain't due for two more weeks. Why she's coming right now?

The room was filled with a mix of gasps and oh my God's, and a few grosses from the guys.

"You sure you didn't just piss yourself?" Merle snorted.

She just rolled her eyes at Merle and looked up at Daryl, hearing the panic in his voice. "She's coming." She linked her hand in his and squeezed it tightly. "We're about to have a baby." Her own voice was quivery and she'd be lying if she tried to say she wasn't terrified. She had no idea what to expect from the labor, and though she knew that being two weeks early was really nothing compared to most premature babies she saw in NICU, there was still a part of her brain that made her wonder about all the what if's. But despite the fear and un-certainty she was feeling, the image of what her little girl might look like filled her head. The fact that she knew she'd soon be holding her daughter for the first time was helping subside some of that fear and replace it with giddy anticipation.

And just like that, the fact that they were about to be parents to a little girl hit him like a semi-truck. This was about to be real, not that it hadn't been up until this point, but she would really be here after this. Like really be here. A living, breathing person who completely depended on them for everything. After tonight their life would never be the same. And it was the most exciting, yet frightening emotion he'd ever felt in his entire life. "Holy shit. We're gonna have a baby."


	68. Chapter 68

Everyone had rushed to the hospital after Carol's water broke in the nursery that evening. Daryl and her parents had wanted to call an ambulance. They'd been worried that the baby would pretty much just shoot right out seeing as how her water broke and all. She'd assured them that wasn't a likely option and that she wasn't sure if she had even started true labor yet. She hadn't felt contractions so far. Her crew still wasn't convinced that they wouldn't be witnessing a live home birth any minute now, but Maggie had jumped in to try and help explain to everyone that things aren't exactly like they are in movies and that this process could still take a while. Daryl and her parents finally relented and made the drive to the hospital in his truck, their friends following close behind.

When they got to the hospital she'd been admitted almost immediately. One of the perks of working there she supposed. Eugene had been called on the way and he'd actually beaten them to the hospital. She'd been examined and they determined that she was 2 cm's dilated. Since her water broke they wanted to keep her and if the labor didn't progress soon they were going to go ahead and induce her. Two hours had passed and she was moving along slowly. She was currently at 4cm's. Contractions had started, and from what Daryl could tell, that shit wasn't fun at all. Eugene had let them know that it could still be a while and Daryl had decided to go update their family and friends on the progress.

He made his way into the waiting room where ten of the closest people in the world to them were sitting. Snacking on chips and drinking sodas as they talked and flipped through magazines. All eyes darted on him when they saw him enter the room and he saw the expectant looks each of them had. Especially her parents who were practically beaming. "Sorry to disappoint y'all, but she ain't here yet. Doc said it could still be a while."

A series of sighs and oh man's followed his announcement. Everyone in the room was clearly ready to meet Sophia.

Her mother looked at Daryl and smiled. "You think she's feeling up for a visitor?"

He nodded. "Go on back. I'm sure she'd like to have you there."

"You coming Bob?" She asked her husband as she stood to make her way out of the waiting room.

"I'll be right there. You go on ahead."

She gave her husband a nod and proceeded to exit the room. Stopping to give Daryl a rub on the shoulder as she made her way out. She leaned in close to him and moved her lips next to his ear. "My daughter's a lucky woman and my granddaughter's an even luckier little girl. I'm really proud of the young man you've become."

He felt his face flame at her compliment. She was always such a nice damn lady. He doubted she would have ever said anything negative about him anyway, but it still felt good to hear her say she was proud of him. "Thank you." He muttered, clasping his hand over the one she rested on his shoulder and giving her a sideways grin.

()()()

Carol was crunching on ice chips as she was enjoying a contraction free moment. They'd told her she couldn't eat in case something came up and they had to perform a cesarean. And the aroma from all that food Daryl grilled earlier was still lingering in her nose, taunting her. She'd been hungry after her day at the mall and she'd been more than ready to tear into that food the moment she walked through the door that evening. Those ice chips just weren't cutting it. But she knew they'd have to do. A part of her wanted to con someone into sneaking her something to eat. Sophia had turned from her breech positon she was in last week and was face down ready to plow her way into the world. She didn't think things would go wrong, but she wasn't willing to chance choking to death on her own vomit if things did go south. The things she gave up for this kid she thought, as she laughed to herself. Coffee, alcohol, sex for the next six weeks, and now food.

"Have they already got you feeling loopy from the drugs?" Her mother asked with a smirk as she walked into the room and saw her daughter chuckling to herself.

Her head shot up at her mother's voice and she just shook her head, continuing to chuckle nervously. "I'm starving, these contractions hurt like a bitch, and since you're walking in here I'm slightly worried my soon to be husband just bailed out on me to deliver this baby alone." Of course, she was only joking about the last part. She knew Daryl wasn't going anywhere. Any doubts she'd previously had about him leaving had been eradicated these last two months.

She walked over and took the seat beside her daughter's bed. "You better get used to starving. I don't think I ate the entire first year after you were born."

She rolled her eyes at her mom and grimaced as she felt another contraction coming on. She felt her mom's hand go over hers and she latched onto it so hard she had the other woman crying out in pain. She shot her an apologetic look and mumbled out an, "I'm sorry."

Linda ran a hand over Carol's sweating forehead. "Don't be. I remember this pain all too well. You put me through hell." She hummed to herself. "Sometimes it seems just like yesterday we brought you home. Look at you now. You're about to have a baby of your own. You'll be getting married in a few months. You grew up too fast."

Carol could hear the emotion in her mother's voice as she spoke and images of her own childhood flashed through her mind. Living in that small two bedroom house in Pooler before they came here. Skinning her knee when she was first learning how to ride a bike in that long drive way that she had. They way her dad had made a bee-line to her as that death wale left her lungs when her five year old self looked down and saw the blood gushing from her knee. She remembered sitting in the cafeteria sharing a PB&J sandwich with Daryl one day when his dad didn't send him money to eat with or pack him a lunch. She remembered that day as one of the first time's she saw his angry 8 year old self smile. She remembered asking her parents to pack her two sandwiches for lunch every single day after that and that they were slightly worried she was going to develop an eating disorder for the longest time because she wouldn't tell them why she wanted that extra sandwich.

She remembered her first day of middle school and how nervous she'd been because the only real friends she had made after moving here had been Daryl and Rick and she didn't have hardly any classes with them that year. But then she'd met Maggie, who'd been sitting beside her and practically talked her head off the entire first period and they'd become fast friends. She remembered making friends with Lori a little later that year when her teacher had forced them to work in partners of her choosing and how quickly they'd clicked. Other images flooded her mind. Meeting Shane, Andrea, and Michonne. Middle school dances, which were really she and her friends standing in corners and talking because they were too shy to dance with the opposite sex. Her first day of high school and how he was convinced that practically made her an adult. Her first time drinking alcohol because Daryl stole a bottle of his dad's homemade wine. She'd only been fifteen and had spit it out as soon as she'd tasted it. Funny how she'd change her mind about the taste in only another year and a half.

Days spent floating down the river in the spring and summer, all the time she spent hanging out at the powerhouse, just sitting in the window with Daryl and watching the water flow over the rocks beneath them. Her first vacation without her parents being there. Skipping junior prom to go to that concert with Daryl. Getting her first car. Being accepted into college. Senior prom. That last party at Maggie's dad before the group all went their separate ways for a while. Her mother was right. It had all gone by so fast. And the thought had her wondering how fast her own daughter would grow up before her eyes.

()()()

Y'all don't have to stay." Daryl announced to his friends after Carol's mom left the room to go be with her daughter. "Go on home. Get something to eat." He snorted. "Hell, go eat all that food I cooked so it don't ruin."

"No way in hell we're leaving." Rick replied. "We're gonna be here when Sophia is born. Besides, I'm aiming to be godfather. I've gotta be here to make sure that happens."

"Like hell you are." Merle jumped in. "I'm godfather."

"Please. Who would leave you alone with a baby?" Glenn laughed. "We all now I make the best candidate."

"Come on. We all know they wouldn't name any of you losers as godfather. That's reserved for me." Shane stated confidentially as pointed to himself.

Daryl shook his head at his friends. He wasn't jumping in and causing a riot between them right now. He knew who Carol wanted to ask to be godparents, but he wasn't saying a damn thing yet. It was a decision they hadn't come to lightly, and it had been hard to narrow it down. They loved all of their friends dearly and the last thing they wanted to do was hurt someone's feelings. But this was a human being they were talking about, their human being, and in the end she'd had a strong gut feeling about it and he'd agreed. "Y'all keep on arguing about it. Why don't you flip a coin and see who wins. I'm gonna head on back with Carol now. I just wanted y'all to know you could leave if you wanted and let you know how things were."

"We're not leaving." Andrea insisted. "Someone would have to throw us out first."

"That's right." Lori agreed. "Even if we have to sleep here."

"Suit your damn selves." He grumbled as he turned to walk off. Though he was a lot more touched by their insistence than he let on.

"Mind if I come with you?" Her dad asked as Daryl was walking off.

"She's your daughter." He laughed. "You ain't gotta ask."

He followed in step behind his soon to be son in law and as they rounded the corner to head back to labor and delivery turned to face the younger man. "How are you holding up? You seemed a little panicked back at the house and on the way here."

"I'm freaking the fuck out." He confessed. "If I had a damn pack of cigarettes my ass would probably be on that curb outside smoking every last one of them. I ain't never even held a baby before. How the fuck am I gonna know what to do with this one?"

The older man slapped him on the back. "You'll figure it out. Trust me. I didn't have much practice with little babies before Carol came along either. But it all clicked when they put her in my arms for the first time." He recalled fondly. "Besides, Carol works with babies. You've got someone with a lot of experience to teach you."

Daryl watched as Bob kept walking towards Carol's room, but he stopped in place, nervously chewing the side of his thumb as he shifted on the balls of his feet. Bob must have noticed he wasn't following him anymore because the man turned and shot Daryl a curious look. And Daryl sighed heavily as he met the man's eyes. "What if….what if she don't like me?"

"What?"

"I mean…what if she can tell…you know? If she just instinctively knows I ain't really her daddy and she don't like me because of it."

"Stop, son." He replied firmly. "I don't ever wanna hear you say that again. You understand me?"

"But.."

"You are her daddy. You know that just as well as I know that. I've heard you say it a hundred times these last few months and nothing made me happier than the moment you realized it yourself. Because from the second you two told me she was pregnant I've known it and I knew in time you would, too. Sophia is going to instinctively know you love her, that you'd protect her with your life, that you've been the one who's been here day in and day out for her and her mother. That's what a daddy does, son. And she's going to love you just as much as you love her. Now come on. Let's go see how my little girl is doing and see how much longer it's gonna be before yours gets here."

()()()

And three hours later, just after Midnight, Sophia Jade Dixon was born. Labor had gone smoothly and Carol had been able to deliver naturally. Daryl had been beside her the entire time, holding her hand through most of it. That was, until she'd started crowning. Eugene had insisted that he come see his daughter being born. He hadn't been keen on the idea of watching that. He could skin and gut animals, but the thought of watching a baby come out of a vagina didn't appeal to him. But then something surprising had happened. Something he hadn't expected.

"Daryl Dixon." Eugene barked as he kept his attention trained on the baby's head exiting the birth canal. "You get your ass down here and watch your daughter being born." He looked away briefly and narrowed his eyes on the gruff man who was giving him a hard stare. "I'm taking solace in the fact that you care enough about the safety of Carol and your child to know that you're not going to kick my ass for talking to you like that right this minute. Now, move your ass and come watch your child being born."

And he'd been so damn impressed with Eugene's stern tone towards him that he'd actually slowly made his way down there and watched. And as much as he hated to admit it, he was glad that he did. And as the doctor held the goo and mucous covered infant in his hands in front of him, he was overcome with emotion. Chills coursing throughout his body as he was overwhelmed with a love he didn't even know existed filled his heart and he tried as hard as he could to push back a sob building in his throat as he stared at her in awe. And as the doctor held her out and offered to let him cut the cord he didn't hesitate.

"Is she alright?" Carol cried out, lifting her head and trying to push herself up for a better view. "Is everything okay?" She felt panic rising in her chest because she hadn't heard a cry escape the newborn baby's lungs yet, but before anyone could answer her a loud cry filled the room and all of her anxieties were quelled. She watched as the nurses started to gently clean her off and tears of happiness welled in her eyes. Her daughter was here. She was finally here, and she was the most perfect thing she'd ever laid eyes on. As much as she knew how much she already loved her, nothing prepared her for the moment of laying her eyes on her child for the first time. Her heart swelled with so much love for this tiny person that she was sure it could bust.

Daryl ran over to her, leaning over and pulling her face to his. Placing a gentle kiss on her lips then resting his forehead on hers. "She's perfect. Ten fingers, ten toes, and she's covered in all this gross shit. But she's fucking perfect. You did so good. I'm proud of you, sweetheart." And just like that, he couldn't push the sob back any longer.

She threaded her fingers through his hair and when she looked over a nurse was bringing her daughter to her. And everything seemed like it was moving in slow motion right then. Daryl slightly moving away from her so the nurse could place the baby in her arms, the feel of her daughter pressed against her chest for the first time, the precious sound of those cries coming from her newborn child.

She gently ran her finger tips across her daughter's face as she held her in her arms. Taking in every feature of her child. Her big blue eyes, which Carol knew was common in all baby's and might not stay that color, he hair that was so light blond that you could barely see it, her skin that was currently reddish pink, her tiny fingers and toes. Noticing how her pinky toes were curved like Carol's own were. She looked over at Daryl who had his gaze fixed on her and the baby, and she grinned widely at him before she turned her attention back to the little miracle in her arms. "Welcome to the world, Sophia." She whispered. "Your daddy and I love you very much and we're so glad you're finally here. And your daddy's right. You know that? You're perfect." And just like that, as if on cue, Sophia stopped crying and looked up at both of them, staring at them as if she knew exactly who they were.

 **Never had kids, so I don't know how long labor actually takes nor the order of how things go once the baby comes out. So if something isn't accurate, my bad. Let's just pretend that was legit since this is fiction after all =)**


	69. Chapter 69

After Carol had some time holding the Sophia, they'd taken her back for a few routines things. They'd said something about getting her foot print, giving her some shots to help her blood clot and applying some eye ointment that would prevent any type of eye infection. She hadn't been gone terribly long, but Carol was already aching to get the little one in her arms again. They'd already asked her if she wanted Sophia to be taken to the nursery so she could have some time to rest, but she'd declined. As exhausted as she was, she had no desire to be away from her newborn child any longer than she had to. She felt like she could just marvel at her for the rest of the night. She was the most precious thing she'd ever seen.

And there was also a slight fear there. One she hadn't even mentioned to Daryl yet, but she was almost certain he had the same thing placed in the back of his mind. What if Ed somehow found out she'd been born and showed up? What if he came and tried to take her baby? That thought was enough to make her blood run cold, to send chills down her spine. She felt like things had gone to smoothly so far ever since he and Daryl had that fight. Hell, things had honestly gone too smoothly since she left him. She was surprised he hadn't come looking for her sooner. She felt like he was plotting something, planning for the right moment to come and make their lives a living hell.

"Stop worrying." Daryl replied, taking a seat in a chair beside her and stroking his thumb gently across her chin. He'd gone to take a piss a few minutes ago and she'd seemed fine, hell better than fine if that was possible for someone who'd just pushed another human being out of them. He was sure she hadn't stopped smiling and crying tears of happiness since Sophia had been born. She was on cloud nine, and he was, too. They were both over the moon about their little girl and he already knew she was going to have them wrapped around her finger. But now her entire demeanor had changed in the two minutes he'd stepped away. An almost dreadful look filled her eyes and the air was thick with tension.

Her head jolted up at the sound of his voice and she tried to force a weak smile at him. "I'm a mother now. It's my job to worry."

"There ain't nothing to worry about." He assured her softly, circling his thumb over the same spot on her chin.

She tried to tilt her head down and avert his gaze, because she wasn't so sure about that. But she felt him lightly lift her chin so that their eyes would meet once again.

"Stop. Everything's alright. Everything is gonna be alright." He insisted. He knew exactly what her fears were. He knew because the scenario had popped into his head, too. But he also knew he wouldn't let that happen. No matter what he had to do, that man wasn't coming anywhere near Carol or Sophia. Not tonight, not tomorrow, not ever. "Restraining order's still in effect. He reminded her. "I'll tell the nurses and whoever else not to let no one in to see us without our permission. Besides, she's gonna be in here with us tonight so we ain't gotta worry about her being out of our sight. Everything else, we'll deal with it after if it comes. Just don't worry about it. Not tonight."

She was currently a jumble of emotions and hormones compiled into one combustible bubble that was pretty much ready to burst any second. Telling her not to worry right now was about as good a trying to tell a fish to live on land. She knew he was only trying to help and, even more, she knew he meant what he said. There wasn't a doubt in her mind he'd do anything to keep the two of them safe. To know that nothing or no one would ever hurt them.

The look of adoration, amazement, and pure loved that he'd had in his tear filled eyes as watched her hold the baby girl in her arms earlier had only reinforced what she'd already come to know. What he'd told her repeatedly the last few months. Sophia was Daryl's daughter and he was her father. No amount of DNA, no judge, no court order would ever change that. And even though she'd had reservations about him signing the birth certificate, even though there had previously been the tiniest shred of a thought that he might change his mind about such a large responsibility, that doubt was long gone.

And as she thought about her daughter's sweet face, about how much she loved the man in front of her, and about how this was literally the best day of her life so far, she forced herself to push the worry from her gut. To remove the thought of Ed from her mind completely. She didn't wanna think about him right now. This day was about Sophia. It was about the fact that they had now transformed into a family of three. And she just wanted to revel in that. "You're right. Everything's alright. We'll deal with the rest later." She offered him a real smile this time as she linked her fingers with his and gave his hand a gentle squeeze, granted it was a small once because she really was worn out, but it was a smile.

He leaned into her and placed a chaste kiss on her lips, keeping their fingers intertwined the entire time. "How much longer you think it'll be before they bring her back in here?" He asked after he broke the kiss.

"Probably a bit longer. Why don't you go let everyone know she's here? Let them know we're all okay? I know they've been waiting a long time and they're probably exhausted. They can all go home and get some sleep."

He chuckled to himself. She was the one who'd just gone through labor, yet she was worried about their friends and family being tired and needing sleep from sitting on their asses in a waiting room for a few hours. "You gonna be alright by yourself in here while I'm gone?"

She nodded and grabbed the remote to the nurses' station, swirling it around in her hand. "I can have a room full of people in here any minute if I get too lonely. Go ahead."

"I'll be right back. Don't spoil her too much while I'm gone if they bring her in here before I get back." He grinned.

"Actually, I was thinking I'd get the nurses to take her to the nursery for a minute so everyone could see her." She suggested. "I know they're all gonna beg to come back here and see us both tonight, but I'm just too tired for that right now." She paused wondering if the next part was going to sound bad, but knowing she could be honest with Daryl about anyway. "And I kinda don't wanna share her just yet. You know?"

He arched a brow at her. "What do you mean?"

"I just haven't gotten to hold her very much yet and I know everyone is gonna want a turn with her if they come back here. And I kinda just wanna keep her to ourselves tonight. Just the three of us. I know that might sound bad and I feel awful that they waited this long and everyone's been so wonderful to us through this. But at least they'll all get to see her for a minute if she's in the nursery….But I want them to bring her back as soon as everyone gets to see her."

He understood where she was coming from. He wasn't sure their friends and family would, but he didn't care. They'd get over it. He loved the hell out of them for everything they'd done. How supportive everyone had been to them. But if she didn't want visitors tonight he felt like everyone should respect that. Besides, he kinda felt the same way. He wanted that time with just the three of them, too. "What about your parents?" He wondered aloud. He wasn't sure if she'd want to make an exception if they asked to come see their own child and grandchild.

That was a tough call. These were the people who'd given her life. And a damn good one at that. And if they wanted to come back she didn't want to deny them that. "If they really push for it I guess it'll be okay. But I'd really rather everyone come in tomorrow."

()()()

He strolled into the waiting room with his hands shoved in his pockets. Her parents were staring up at some late night show on the television. Merle's head was resting on Andrea's shoulder as she read a magazine, his mouth slightly gaping open and his eyes fixed closed. Shane and Rick were having a thumb war. Michonne was looking down at her phone, no doubt texting her new beau. Lori and Maggie were surrounding Glenn, who was passed out with his head against the wall. The three of them were giggling quietly to themselves as they painted his finger nails. But they were still here after all this time. They'd stayed just to be able to hear that Carol and the baby were fine. That things went well. Sure, between the two of them they were only technically related to three people in this room. But the other seven, well they were their family, too. There was no question about that.

He cleared his throat loudly after no one seemed to notice his presence and he watched as their heads all jerked in his direction. Even Merle and Glenn who'd been sleeping popped their heads up. Expectant eyes trained on him and the corner of his lips turned up involuntarily. "She's here. We're parents." He proudly announced. "Carol's doing great, Sophia too. She's perfect. Everything went just fine.

A series of claps, woohoo's and congratulations ensued as he was enveloped in hugs. First by her parents, then his brother and Andrea, followed by Rick and Lori, then Maggie and Glenn, then Shane and Michonne. "She's uh, in the nursery if y'all wanna go take a look at her. Carol's real tired and she just ain't feeling up to visitors tonight. But she wanted everyone to get to see her. Figured this was the best way to make that happen."

()()()

No one had put up a fuss about not being able to see the new mom tonight. They all just seemed happy to know that she and baby were doing well. They eagerly followed him to the nursery and watched as he pointed to the bundle wrapped in a pink blanket. He waved for a nurse to bring the baby closer to the glass so everyone could get a better view. And he was surprised as his own breath caught in his throat again as he got to see her again.

"She looks just like Carol when she was born." Her mother beamed. "Same lips, same nose, it's just uncanny."

"All except for that hair." He father chuckled. "Our little girl wasn't blond headed."

"You're gonna need a shot gun, little brother." Merle laughed, slapping Daryl on the back as he walked up beside him.

Daryl hummed. He knew Merle was right. She was her mother's child, and that meant she was going to be beautiful. Hell, she already was he thought to himself. "Crossbow will do just fine."

"She's so precious!" Andrea squealed, "I've never seen something so amazing. It just, it makes my uterus hurt."

Merle's eyes grew wide as his voice became several tones higher than normal. "Oh hell no! She's a pretty little thing and all, but you best not be getting no damn ideas over there. It ain't happening, darling."

Everyone in the room chuckled at Merle's outburst, including Andrea, and Daryl himself couldn't help but find the irony. If this situation was reversed, and Merle and Andrea had been the ones having a child tonight and Carol had made a similar comment he'd have had the same reaction before all of this. But now, as he stared at the little girl behind the glass, his daughter, he knew he wouldn't change a thing. Not a damn thing.

"She's really is beautiful, Daryl." Maggie offered, moving her eyes from the infant long enough to meet his eyes.

"Thanks." He muttered. As he turned to look at her something in particular caught his eye. Glenn was standing behind her, staring at Sophia. As he did he wrapped an arm around Maggie's waist, running his hand over her belly as he placed a kiss on his wife's cheek.

"We couldn't be happier for you guys." Glenn finally said, looking away from the baby and towards Daryl, still moving his hand over Maggie's belly.

Rick was standing next to Lori and reached out, taking her hand in his. "I want one."

She looked up at him, raising an eyebrow. "Are you being serious or is this just some emotionally driven moment from seeing your two oldest friends become parents?"

"I don't know." He admitted with a laugh. "But if it is serious do you wanna try and make one?"

She looked back over at Sophia and grinned. "I think I might."

Shane scanned the space they were standing in. Rick and Lori were standing happily together, as were Glenn and Maggie. Michonne was by herself, but she wasn't really. She'd hit it off with that Morgan guy and she seemed to already adore his kid. Then there was Daryl, who'd just welcomed this new life into the world with the woman he loved. And he could honestly say he'd never seen the guy happier than he had right now as he stared at this little girl. And the last people his eyes landed was Merle and Andrea. And he'd be a damn liar if he said that seeing them together didn't sting. He'd been a damn idiot back in the day. Not willing to settle down and stop doing whatever or whoever he wanted when he had a great girl in front of him. But he'd taken her for granted. He'd thought she'd still be around when he finally decided he wanted to settle down one day. But she hadn't. She'd moved on. And she was clearly happy now. And he liked Merle, he did. He was a decent guy, and he treated her right. A hell of a lot better than he ever had. But that didn't quell the lonely feeling he got in the pit of his stomach as he stood there in front of all of his friends tonight. People that had someone to share this moment with. To share Daryl and Carol's happiness with. "You're a lucky man, Daryl. I'm happy for you." He called out.

Michonne was standing next to Shane and rubbed his shoulder. "You really are, Daryl." She agreed. "And we're all so happy for both of you."

One by one their friends slowly trickled off to head out for the night. All of them promising to come back and visit tomorrow. And just like that, it was just him and her parents still standing there. The proud grandparents had barely taken their eyes off of her and were snapping all sorts of pictures on their phones. He was standing right beside her dad as Carol's mom was taking one more picture and he couldn't help but look over at him. "I know what you mean now."

"Huh?" Bob mumbled, looking away from Sophia and at Daryl.

"In the hospital after your heart attack. When you told me why you didn't like me when I was younger. You told me no one would ever be good enough for your little girl until one day someone was. You said I'd understand when I had a little girl of my own. And I do. I understand why you hated me. Because I don't ever think anyone will be good enough for Sophia."

()()()

Her parents had walked back to check up on their daughter and give her hug, but they didn't stay and they didn't ask to hold the baby, though they'd taken a pile of pictures of Carol holding her. But Daryl understood why they needed to see her for themselves before they left and Carol had said she did too once they left. No matter how old she was, she was always going to be there child and they were always going to worry about her. They just needed to see she was doing okay with her own eyes.

But they were gone now, and it was just the two of them and Sophia in the wee hours of the night in that hospital room. And Carol probably should have been asleep, but she wasn't. She was sitting there holding her sleeping daughter and admiring everything about her. And when she looked up she noticed Daryl was intently staring down at the baby in her arms. A longing look in his eyes. ="What you thinking about?" She proded.

He shrugged. "Nothing really."

He'd said it so casually she almost believed him and chalked it up to tiredness, but then it hit like a brick wall. He hadn't held her yet. "Do you wanna…do you wanna hold her?" She wasn't sure if he was scared to or if he didn't wanna ask her to give her up, but she had an inkling that was what that look in his eyes was about. She was sure she'd been wearing the same one while she was waiting for them to bring her back to her earlier.

"He hesitated. I…I don't wanna take her from you. You carried her nine damn months and went through all pain and shit just to get her here. You can hold her as long as you want."

"It's okay. I want you to." She said softly. "She's your daughter. I don't mind sharing her with you."

He nervously chewed the inside of his lip as he looked between her and Sophia. "I don't know how. What if I hurt her? What if I drop her?"

She just shook her head at him. He sounded like many of the new parents she dealt with in NICU. Terrified they were going to break their fragile babies. "You won't. I'll show you what to do." She slid over in the bed as gingerly as possible to avoid hurting herself. She patted the empty section as soon as she'd made enough room for him to slide in.

He chewed his lip another moment before finally giving in and sliding in beside her.

"Relax. It's okay." She assured him. She could feel how tense he was as soon as his shoulder touched hers. She explained to him how to position his arms to support her and then slowly placed her in his arms. She watched the tension melt away from him instantly as soon as Sophia was secure in his strong arms.

He was amazed that she hadn't even seemed to wake up during the transfer from her mother's arms to his. As he looked down at her cradled in his arms he felt silly for even being scared to do this in the first place. It was like she fit there in his arms perfectly.

"See, you're a natural." She smirked at him, feeling her heart skip a beat at the sight of him holding her in his arms, not taking his eyes away from her even for a moment.

Sophia popped an eye open at him and made a grunting sound. "Hey sweetheart." He cooed. "Daddy's got you now. Daddy's right here. And I always will be."

Carol rested her head against his shoulder and curled her arm around his, smiling to herself as she listened to him talk to Sophia. Making promises to always love her. To always be there for her. "I love you both." she mumbled, feeling her eyelids growing heavy and knowing her body was soon going to give in to exhaustion. But that was okay, because she knew he daughter was safe in Daryl's arms next to her. And in that moment, she knew she always would be.


	70. Chapter 70

Their friends and family started piling in the next day to visit Carol and baby Sophia. Her parents had shown up first and stayed for hours. Holding their new granddaughter and simply marveling at how perfect she was to them. They'd only left about thirty minutes ago, and that was just to go get something to eat. And they were supposed to be bringing the new parents something back, too. Shane had dropped by on his way to work that morning. Brining flowers and balloons with him. Michonne, Morgan, and his young son had dropped by next. Followed by Glenn and Maggie, who were currently getting ready to leave and let the Grimes clan pile in for a visit.

"I just don't wanna put you down." Maggie beamed, looking down at Sophia as she walked towards Carol to place the newborn back in her friend's arms. She paused when she reached the hospital bed Carol was in and smiled at her. "I could sit here and hold her all day."

She smiled back and extended her arms to take her daughter back. "Tell me about it. I held her for hours last night. When I finally gave her to Daryl I passed out on his shoulder. When I woke up a few hours later when a nurse popped in to check on us he was still holding her and she had her tiny little hand wrapped around one of his fingers. It's one of the most precious things I've ever seen."

Maggie carefully moved the baby back into her mother's arms. Then she turned to look at Daryl, who was sitting in a chair with his head propped up in one of his hands, looking very much like he was on the verge of passing out. She couldn't help but grin to herself thinking about how far he and Carol had come these last nine months. She'd told him when he came back and started trying to mend things with Carol that he better make damn sure he knew what he wanted this time around. And he'd damn sure known, and had fought like hell to keep it this time around. He wasn't that scared kid she grew up with anymore. He was a man, and a damn fine one at that. And Carol, well she admired the hell out of her for everything she'd been through. From having the courage to leave Ed, to moving back home and starting over, to taking care of her parents when they needed her, for having the courage to trust Daryl again, and for knowing she wanted this child and being willing to put her first no matter what. The woman was one of the most strong-willed, determined people she'd ever met.

She leaned down to hug her friend. "Glenn and I have gotta head out. But we'll come see you when get home. Just call us if you need anything."

Carol leaned into her and wrapped her free arm around her. The one that wasn't being used to secure Sophia. "We will. Thank you both for everything. We love you Aunt Maggie and Uncle Glenn."

Glenn grinned at her as he stepped in to get a hug of his own. He turned to look at his wife and gave her a look. One that was seeking permission.

Maggie nodded and took Glenn's hand in hers. "Daryl, wake up. We've got something to tell you guys."

"I ain't asleep." He grumbled. "Just resting my fucking eyes. I was up all damn night."

Carol looked down at Sophia who was making grunting noise and eyeing her mother curiously. "Your daddy's grumpy, huh. I think he needs nap. He was too busy getting to know you last night that he didn't get any sleep." When she was doing cooing to her little girl she looked up at her friends apologetically. "Sorry. What's your news?"

The coupled shared a look and Glenn squeezed Maggie's hand in his to encourage her to be the one to say it. "I'm pregnant!" She squealed. "We're gonna have a baby!"

Daryl popped his head up at that and raised both his brows, looking over at his fiancé and their child, then back to his friends. Removing any hit of annoyance from his voice that had previously been there. "Holy shit. Congratulations."

"I'd say congratulations, but the pain you're going to go through is still fresh in my mind." Carol smirked.

"Yeah. And the hormones and damn mood swing Glenn's gonna have to deal with." Daryl quipped. "I made Carol cry one time because she had a craving for pizza rolls. Damn store didn't have any so I brought back bagel bites instead. She cried for ten minutes and then didn't speak to me for another ten. By the time she was talking to me again she was trying to rip my damn belt off because she was horny. Craziest damn thirty minutes of my life."

Maggie and Glenn's eyes both grew wide as they looked at the couple.

"Aren't you guys supposed to be supportive? Not trying to scare the hell out of us."

"Yeah." Maggie said. "You could've at least warned me about all this before when I told you we were thinking about having a baby."

"We're kidding." Carol tried to assure them. "Well, okay. Those things did happen and labor hurt like hell, but she was worth it. Completely worth it and I'd do it all over again to have her in my arms right now."

Daryl reached over and stroked his daughter's head gently. "Every damn bit of it." He agreed.

She looked over at them softly, feeling a little bad that her joke had freaked them out. "And we're really happy for you both. Really we are. You're gonna be great parents and we'll help you any way we can. Just like you did us."

()()()

Next up to visit ended up being Lori and Rick. Lori had eagerly held Sophia first, but Rick had been a little more timid about the idea. He hadn't asked when it was going to be his turn and when Lori had asked if he wanted to hold her a while he'd been reluctant and told her that she looked so happy in her arms he didn't wanna make her have to move. Rick hadn't ever really held babies either.

"Can I get her Lori?" Daryl said as he stood to his feet after hearing Sophia start to whine a bit in Lori's arms.

"Of course." She nodded, reaching to hand the baby off to him and placing a kiss on her forehead as she did so. "Your daddy wants you sweet girl. Aunt Lori will have to spoil you some more later."

He gingerly took his daughter in his arms and rocked her back and forth a moment as she let out a few more disgruntled cries. "It' alright, sweetheart. Daddy don't like new people either. But these folks are alright. Aunt Lori's kinda a bitch sometimes, but she's good for the most part." He shot Lori an evil grin as he heard Rick muffle a laugh.

"Daryl Dixon, if you didn't have that baby in your arms I'd put my foot up your ass." Lori promised.

"I'm gonna put my foot up everyone's if my child's first word is a cuss word." Carol hissed.

Daryl smirked and walked over to the bed where she was and took a seat beside her. "I'll stop cussing when she gets close to talking."

"Sure you will, pookie." She smiled, rubbing the side of his face.

He felt his cheeks burn. "I told you not to call me that."

"But you're so cute when you're embarrassed." She teased. And before he could say anything back Sophia became ever fussier, letting out a high pitched squeal. She knew she'd fed her right before Lori and Rick came in and she shouldn't be hungry again, so she reached up and checked the next logical thing she could think of. Her diaper. "She's pretty wet. I should change her." She went to push herself up, grimacing a little as she did. The pain from last night still fresh.

Daryl reached a hand out to stop her. "I got it."

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "You sure?" He hadn't changed her by himself yet, though he'd watched and assisted her earlier.

He just shrugged. "Gotta learn ain't I?"

She nodded and pointed towards the diapers. Watching him silently as he grabbed a diaper and spread her out on the bed. She only had to help guide him with what to do with the wiping part, but he was able to remove the diaper and put a new one on with relative ease. And she was impressed. He'd taken to all of this really well. And she was relieved to see that she was actually going to have help when she got home. She'd heard many stories of women with older children that had premies in NICU who had husbands or partners at home that literally did almost nothing other than financially provide for their kids. She was thankful that it seemed like Daryl was going to be all in on both ends.

"I'm impressed." Rick admitted out loud.

Daryl stood and grunted with the infant in his hands, who was no doubt much happier to have a clean diaper on. "Just doing what I'm supposed to do. Ain't no big deal." He walked over to Rick and motioned to him. "Go clean your hands."

He gave him a confuse look. "What?"

"Wash your hands so you can hold Sophia."

"Oh. I uh. I can hold her later. You've got her now."

He shook his head. "Nuh uh. Hold her now."

"I don't…"

He looked back and Carol and she nodded at him. "You need to hold your goddaughter, Rick."

"She's my…you want us to be her..?"

"Yeah. We do." Carol smiled.

"Seriously? Are you sure?" Lori asked.

"We talked about it a lot. It wasn't an easy choice to make, because we love you all and we know you'd all take care of her if anything ever happened to us. But we've known Rick the longest, you and him have been together the longest, and well, if it wasn't for you two I'm not sure Daryl and I would be together right now. I'm not sure I'd be here right now. You convinced me to move back home, you took me in, and Rick kept Daryl updated on me all these years. It just…it seems right for you two to be godparents. If you want that title that is."

Rick and Lori looked at one another, both nodding at the same time.

"We'd be honored." He said, then he stood to go wash his hands and when he returned he let Daryl place Sophia in his arms and he held his goddaughter for the first time.

()()()

Finally, Merle and Andrea arrived at the hospital to visit. Merle bearing two cups in his hand as he entered the room. Cups that he'd brought especially for the new parents.

Carol placed her fingers over her lips as the two walked through the door. Daryl was in the bed with her, asleep and curled against her neck while Sophia rested in her arms. "Your brother and Sophia are asleep. Be quiet."

"Wake them the fuck up." He grumbled.

Andrea reached over and pinched the back of his arm. "Be quiet." She hissed.

"Ouch! Damn it, woman. What the hell did you do that for?"

"Because you're being loud and there's a sleeping baby in the room whose mom is probably enjoying the quiet. Or was until you got here."

"There's two sleeping babies in the room." He grumbled. "One of them is just five foot ten and a hundred and sixty damn pounds. And he needs to wake his lazy ass up."

"He's tired, Merle. This is the first time he's slept. He stayed up with Sophia all night."

He scoffed at that. "He ain't got a reason to be tired. You did all the damn work. You should be asleep, not him."

"I slept last night. Slept some today on and off, too. Don't be mean about your brother. He's been a lot of help to me. He's pretty good at this being a dad thing." She grinned and reached for her phone, being careful not to disturb Daryl or Sophia's sleeping state as she did and pulling up pictures she'd been taking all throughout the day. "Here's one of just the three of us." She whispered. The doctor took it right after she was born. And one of her with my parents my today. One of the three of us with my parents." She continued scrolling until she'd showed him a picture of Sophia with everyone from their group except for him and Andrea. And when she was done scrolling and she looked up he had a pouty look on his face.

"I'm keeping this for myself." He muttered, gripping the cups in his hand tighter.

"What is that?"

"Coffee." Andrea answered for him. "He figured you two were exhausted and could use some. He wanted to put liquor in it, but I wouldn't let him."

Her eyes lit up at the mention of the word coffee and she felt her mouth water. "Real coffee. No decaf?"

"Mhm. I knew how much you missed drinking it and figured it wouldn't hurt since you weren't carrying the baby no more. But since I can't hold her and Daryl won't wake up I'm gonna drink them both myself."

Daryl groaned into Carol's neck. "Please let his cry baby ass hold her so he'll shut up."

()()()

Carol had relented and moved the sleeping baby into Merel's arms. And luckily, she didn't seem to notice her change in positons. Still sleeping peacefully as the proud new uncle held her. Andrea had practically had to pry her out of Merle's arms when she wanted a turn and he'd insisted on being able to hold her again before they left. Especially since she'd peeped her big, bright blue eyes open by then. And she'd done the same thing to him that she'd done to Daryl the night before, gripping his large finger in her tiny little hand. And he fell in love with the child the moment she did that. It was all it took for the little girl to have him in the palm of her hand.

"Pretty amazing, isn't it?" Andrea asked as she and Merle were walking out of the hospital room.

"It's something." He agreed. "She looks just like Carol. Same big ass doe eyes and everything."

"She really does. I've seen baby pictures of her. They could be twins."

"You can tell she's already crazy about her. She's gonna be a good damn mama."

"You're brother's a proud papa, too. Did you see how he jumps up any time she cries?"

He hummed as they rounded the corner. He'd noticed that. He'd noticed the gleam in his eyes as he looked down at her and held her. He'd noticed the way the little girl already looked at both her parents, like they hung the damn moon or something. And he'd noticed the almost sickeningly perfect way the three of them looked in the hospital bed together when they walked in the room. And though he wouldn't admit it. He was damn proud of the two of them and the little family unit they'd become. "He's gonna be good daddy. "He finally nodded." No thanks to the sorry sack of shit who raised us."

Andrea reached out and took his hand in hers and gave it a tight squeeze.

He looked over at her when he felt her grab his hand and he gave her a small smile. He wouldn't admit it to many people either, but he was damn glad he had Andrea.

They'd been close to the exit when and when he looked away from Andrea and back in front of him the person who was walking into the hospital had his jaw clenching and his fists balling at his sides. "What the fuck are you doing here?" He growled.

Standing in front of them was Will Dixon with a big pink balloon in one hand and flowers in another. Any stranger would think he was a proud grandpa coming to visit. But Merle knew better and the sight made bile rise in his stomach.

"I came to see my son and granddaughter." The older man bit back.

"Yeah. Well they don't wanna see you. So you best go home." He stepped in front of the man, almost challenging him to walk any farther.

"He's my son, Merle. I got a right to see him and I got a right to see my grandbaby."

"You ain't got a damn right to shit. And he don't want you here, and Carol damn sure don't want you around her kid."

Will didn't back down, standing firm in place in front of Merle. "You think I give a shit what that little bitch wants? If it wasn't for her Daryl would still come around me. Now I wanna see my grandbaby. She's a little girl. You know I always wanted a daughter. That's what Daryl was supposed to be. A little girl. Then I'd have had someone to remind me of your mama. I'd still have a piece of her."

"You did have a piece of her. You had two fucking pieces of her and you treated us like shit. And Daryl looked just damn like her. Don't matter that he didn't have tits and a vagina. He's more her than he ever was you and that's a damn good thing. Now get your damn ass out of here before I throw your ass out." He got right in his dad's face and bumped him with his chest, knocking the man back some.

"Merle." Andrea warned, grabbing his arm and trying to pull him away before he started a fight right here in the hospital.

"Better listen to that piece you got there. Least yours knows how to keep her ass in line."

At that Andrea quickly let go of her grip on Merle. "On second thought, punch the bastard in his face."

Merle smirked and shook his head at that. "He ain't gonna let it get that far. He knows damn well Daryl and I can both beat his ass now. Now get the fuck out of here." He warned. "That ain't your grandkid."

Andrea was about to go off on Merle for saying that out loud, knowing his old man would blow a gasket and knowing if anything ever came up with Ed that it would look really bad Daryl's own brother told their father that.

"And Daryl ain't your damn kid." He added before she had to jump in. "Just because you made him don't make you his damn daddy. You're just an abusive son of a bitch we lived with until we were 18. Nothing more. Now stay the fuck away from Daryl, Carol, and their little girl. Stay the fuck away from all of us. We don't want you in our life."

He gave Merle and Andrea one last long hard look before storming out of the hospital and when he was finally out of sight Merle hung his head and let out a loud sigh.

"Are you alright?" Andrea asked, running a comforting hand up and down his shoulder.

Merle reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys, staring at them a long time before finally saying anything. "I'm going to Savannah."


	71. Chapter 71

"Merle! Merle!" Andrea shouted as she stormed out of the hospital after him. Desperately trying to stop him from whatever crazy idea he'd formed in his mind during the last few minutes.

But he wouldn't turn around, he wouldn't face her. He just kept a quick, steady pace as he headed in the direction of his truck. After seeing his own father show up in that hospital, he knew what he had to do. There wasn't a question in his mind after the altercation he'd had in the hallway. He was a man on a mission. A mission for his baby brother, his soon to be sister in law, and his new born niece.

Andrea picked up her pace, growing more and more annoyed that her boyfriend wouldn't turn around and acknowledge her. And when she finally reached him she placed a firm grip on his shoulder and whipped him around to face her. "Damn it, Merle!" She snapped. "Whatever it is you're thinking about doing. Just stop it. Okay?"

He snatched away from her grip and huffed. "I ain't thinking about doing nothing. I am doing something. And it's something that's gotta be done."

She heard the anger in his voice, saw the look of resolution in his eyes. And she realized shouting at him wasn't going to do any good. So she tried to take a different approach. She softened her features, bringing her voice down to the same tone she'd use if she was trying to reason with a small child. "I know that you're upset. I know seeing your dad probably brought up a lot of feelings."

"You don't fucking know." He barked, slinging his arms in a fit of rage as he did so. "You don't know a damn thing about what we went through."

She felt her stomach twist in knots as she heard the pain and anger behind his words. He was right, she hadn't been there when he was growing up. She hadn't exactly seen what all they'd gone through. But she'd seen bits and pieces of what Daryl had gone through. And she'd damn sure seen the marks that man left on both of his boys. Physical and emotional. "I know." She agreed. Reaching out carefully in an attempt to stroke his arm. When she noticed he wasn't recoiling she began to stroke his arm gently. "And I'm sorry that he did that to you. To both of you. Neither of you deserved it."

He looked up at her as she calmly spoke to him and tried to appease his anger with her touch. But she still didn't understand. Nothing she said or did was going to change his mind at this point. "I can't let that happen to Sophia, Andrea." He bit down on his bottom lip and shook his head. "She's just an innocent kid. Don't know nothing about wrong or right. She don't deserve that."

"He hasn't come back, Merle." She tried to reason. "He might have decided that he didn't care. He might have decided he believed she wasn't his. But either way, he doesn't even know she's been born yet. This doesn't have to be dealt with right now."

"But we don't know that." He countered. "For all we know, he does know she's been born. He could be on his fucking way here right now. And if he ain't today, he could be tomorrow. Or sometime when we least expect it."

"He can't legally take her without a DNA test and a court order. Your brother's signing the birth certificate. He's her father in the eyes of the law right now. You're being irrational."

"You don't know men like him, Andrea. I'm telling you. He's waiting. Biding his time for the right moment. And maybe Daryl will legally be the damn daddy, but who said he gives a fuck about legality. Damn sure ain't legal to put your hands on a woman is it?"

"What are you gonna do?" She snorted. "Go kill him and feed his body to the hogs?"

Merle didn't reply or even crack a smile at that. He just stood there, a stern, determined look on his face.

"No! No! You are not! Merle?" She ran a hand through her blond hair as her voice became strained and panicked. "Your brother wouldn't want that. Carol wouldn't want that. They don't want you to spend the rest of your damn life in jail. And I sure as hell don't."

He sucked in a deep breath at seeing how upset she was becoming. "Relax. I ain't gonna kill the fucker."

"Then what exactly are you gonna do?"

"I just wanna have a little chat with him. That's all."

There was a certain edge to his voice when he said that. One that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. She decided to try one last approach to change his mind. "If you go down there then he'll know for sure she was born. It could make things worse. A lot worse."

He sighed, running a hand over his face as he locked eyes with Andrea. "I'm going. With or without you. Ain't nothing you can do to change my mind. But I'll find him a hell of a lot faster if you go with me."

()()()

Andrea had reluctantly given and gone with Merle. She'd finally decided that she felt more comfortable being with him and knowing what actually went down than letting him go alone and sitting at home worrying about it the entire time. And she held out hope that she'd be able to rationalize with him once they actually got there. That his rage would have subsided to the point he could think clearly if he saw the man face to face.

The over two hour car ride had been filled with an eerie of them speaking unless it was about directions or Merle's occasional question of whether or not Andrea had found Ed's whereabouts. Which she'd actually been able to do using the internet. And it really hadn't been that hard. She was able to find a last known phone number and address for him, as well as his age and where he worked.

And using that information was what led them to where they were now. An apartment complex that was over on Abercorn street. One that wasn't exactly the picture of dainty Savannah life that you saw in brochures all the time. No, on the contrary, this place was scattered in the midst of fast food joints, gas stations, and run down houses. It was fitting, Merle thought that someone like Ed would live in a place like this.

"I hope you know what the hell you're doing." Andrea said as she turned in the front seat to face him. "Because I don't know people down here. You aren't gonna get a slap on the wrist like your brother did. Especially not showing up at a man's house like this."

"Just let me handle this." He grumbled as he reached for the handle of his truck door.

Andrea couldn't push the uneasy feeling in the pit of her gut away. She probably shouldn't be here right now. It very well could jeopardize her license, depending on what Merle actually ended up doing here. But she couldn't leave. She loved him too damn much to not be right here with him. She just hoped and prayed he loved her enough not to ruin both of their lives over this

"117 B. This is it." She replied as she followed him to the front door.

"Yeah. This is it alright." He mumbled, stepping in front of the door and placing a few loud knocks there. He heard movement shuffling about inside, but no one came to the door. He took the opportunity to knock even louder the next time. Feeling anger bubble inside him of as he thought about seeing the man's stupid ass face again.

"Just a minute." A soft female voice called out.

Andrea's eyes widened in surprise as she looked to Merle.

"I thought you said this was it." He muttered in annoyance.

"It was. It's the last known address that was given for him."

He was about to argue with her. Say that she'd looked something up wrong or she hadn't tried hard enough to find him. Maybe even accuse her of leading him to the wrong place on purpose, but just then the door started to creek open.

"Can I help you?" A woman asked, a perplexed look on her face as she saw the two strangers standing in front of her door.

Merle took in the sight before him. He was sure he looked just about as damn confused as the young woman standing in front of him. This had to be the wrong damn house. There was no way Ed lived here. The girl standing in front of them barely looked eighteen. Her right arm in was in a bright green cast. He looked over at Andrea who was a sdumbfounded looking as he felt and then back to the young girl. "I uh, I was looking for a guy named Ed. I reckon you don't happen to know any Ed's. Do you?"

"Mommy." A little girl cried out, peeping out from behind the young woman's leg. "He isn't here is he?" She cried out again. "I don't want him to be here. I don't wanna see him ever again."

A pained looked spread across the woman's face as she leaned down and scooper her daughter up with her good arm. She placed a kiss on the little girl's temple and offered her a forced smile. "No, honey. He's not here. He won't ever bother u again." She looked back at the two stranger's in her doorway and then back to her child. "Why don't you go play in your room for a minute while mommy talks to these two nice people?"

The little girl gave her mother an unsure look.

"If you do then we can get have ice-cream when they leave." The mother tried to coax.

"Okay, mommy." She finally agreed as she slipped out of her arms and headed away from her mother.

The woman didn't invite them in until she heard the shutting of her daughter's bedroom door. When she finally let them in they stood in the doorway. She introduced herself as Leah and then jumped into addressing why they were there. "I don't know who you are or what Ed owes you, but I'm not with him anymore. And as you can see, I've got a kid I'm struggling to take care of. I damn sure can't give you what he owes you."

"We're not here for that." Andrea replied, softly.

"Then what are you here for?" She asked confused. "Who are you?"

Merle went to reach into his pocket and out of the corner of his eyes he noticed the woman recoil. He quickly removed his hands and placed them in the air. "I'm just reaching for my phone. I ain't gonna hurt you. I wanna show you why I'm here."

She nodded, but the look on her face didn't show a whole lot of trust. "Just so you know. My dad's a cop. I texted him when I saw stranger's at my door and patrol units are gonna be riding by to check up on me."

"We aren't here to hurt you. I'm a lawyer and we have two friends that are cops. We just wanna talk to you about Ed. Maybe…maybe you can tell us where he is."

Merle pulled out his phone just as she was finishing speaking and placed it in front of the woman. "You see that picture there?"

The woman nodded. Covering her mouth as she did so as if a realization just washed over her. "That's Ed's ex. And…the baby. Is that… is that?"

"That's my brother's baby." He said gruffly. "My brother's fiancée and my niece. And old Ed seems to think he's got some right to that little girl. And I'm just here to make sure he knows damn well he ain't got a single claim. Not on that baby. And not on Carol."

Andrea interrupted quickly, knowing Merle's angry tone wasn't helping this situation. "You know about Carol?"

She nodded somberly. "I would've been with Ed a year this month.

Merle cocked an eyebrow and brought his hand up to conduct some math. "Carol didn't move back until September. That means she didn't leave Ed until then."

She nodded again, shame covering her face. "I met him last summer. He came out here to repo a bed set I bought for my daughter. One I bought her for her birthday. My hours got cut at work and I missed a few payments. I'm a single mom. Her dad took off when she was born." She choked back a tear. "I begged him not to take it when he got here. I told him my whole story and I cried my eyes out. He held me in his arms and told me not to worry. He told me he'd take care of it and I'd get some more time to pay."

"So what? You tripped, fell and landed on his dick as a thank you?" He snorted.

She shot him a disgusted look. "No you asshole. I'm not a whore."

"He's in a bad mood. Excuse him." Andrea offered, shooting Merle a warning look. "Go on, honey."

"Anyway. I gave him a hug as a thank you and he offered me his number. He said I could call him if anyone else showed up or tried to give me any crap about it. I didn't really think anything else of it. I just thought he was being a nice person. I went on about my life and assumed he did, too. But then, a week later, he shows up at my door. He has this paper in his hand saying he took care of the rest of my bill. And of course I think it's the sweetest thing ever and I just swoon for him. Next thing I know he asks me to dinner and I say yes."

"But he told you about Carol and you still decided to date him?" Andrea asked.

"No. Not exactly. We were together a month before I knew about her. I saw a message she sent him. Asking when he'd be home for supper or something like that."

"Why the hell did you decide to stay with a cheating son of a bitch?" Merle butted in.

"He said she was cheating on him first. That he forgave her because they were engaged. That he loved her more than anything. Until he met me anyway. But that she treated him like crap. He told me he wasn't happy and that he wanted to leave. But he kept saying he couldn't yet. He said she depended on his income and didn't have anywhere else to go. He said he couldn't leave her homeless."

"Carol's a damn nurse. He was mooching off her ass."

"I didn't know that! I didn't know anything other than what he told me. And I wanted to believe him. I wanted to so bad. Because he was good to me. He was good to my daughter. He treated her like his own. At first anyway." She took a deep breath and choked back a tear.

Merle looked down at the cast on her arm. "Bastard did that to you. Didn't he?"

She nodded and swallowed hard before being able to continue. "He told me she left him in September. He told me she just booked up one night and took off. He said she left him to be with the guy she cheated on him with. He said we could be together as much as we wanted now. He said he'd move us into the duplex near downtown that he lived in with her. He said he'd get my daughter into a good pre-school. That he'd help me get a new car." She paused to compose herself, feeling her voice become strained. "None of that happened, though. He ended up living here. And he was still good for a while. He helped me pay the bills. Bought us things. But slowly…he stopped helping out. I was left to pay for everything on my own. And he stopped saying all those flattering things to me. Replaced them with cruel words. Calling me a stupid bitch, a worthless whore. He would tell my daughter she was going to grow up to be a whore just like her mommy. That I didn't know who her daddy was and it was all my fault she wouldn't ever have a dad."

Andrea felt bile rise in her stomach. Why didn't you leave him?"

"Because it's not that easy. I loved him. And I don't do well alone."

"But you did leave him. You said you ain't with him no more." Merle pointed out. "Or are you trying to protect his pussy ass?"

"I'm not with him." She stated firmly. "When Elaine told him about Carol being pregnant he lost it. He hauled ass to wherever the hell it is you all live. I tried to tell him it probably wasn't his. After all the times he told me she cheated on him. I tried to talk him into not going. To just let it go. He wouldn't listen. And then your brother put him in the hospital and told him it wasn't his kid. But when he got home he was even more irate. He wanted to sue your brother, but he didn't have the money. He wanted to hire a lawyer to sue for custody. He didn't have the money for that either. And he tried to make me give it to him. He just yelled and cussed and screamed and demanded I give it to him. But I said no. I told him I could barely afford rent. Let alone to help him with legal fees…That's when it happened the first time." She mumbled quietly. "He….he hit me. Square in the jaw. Then kicked me in the stomach. Right in front of my daughter." She lost all control then, tears spilling from the corners of her eyes as she told her story.

Andrea moved beside her and pulled her in for a hug. Running a comforting hand up and down her back.

"I shouldn't have stayed then. I should have called the cops. I should have told my dad. But…I didn't. He begged me to forgive him. He said it was a combination of stress and the pain killers he was on from the fight he'd be in. I was stupid. So stupid."

"Like you said, it ain't that fucking easy to walk away." Merle muttered. Feeling the first bit of sympathy he had for this woman start to surface.

"When he went to trail he thought your brother would get in a lot of trouble. He felt like a judge would side with him. He was even convinced that he'd get custody before the baby was born. He wanted me to go to trial with him. I couldn't take off work. I couldn't not send my child to school. He was irate and I was scared he was gonna hit me again, but he didn't. Not until…not until he came home." She wiped a tear from her eye. "That's when he completely lost it. He just lunged at me the moment he walked through the door. Kicking me. Hitting me. Dragging me. I had a concussion, a broken arm you can see still hasn't healed, bruised ribs, I needed stiches above my right eye." She paused again. "I thought he was going to kill me. Right here in this apartment, in front of my child. I thought I was going to die."

"What made him stop?"

"A neighbor called 911. Heard me screaming. Heard my little girl screaming. The police saw him in the act."

"I'm so sorry." Andrea said, pulling her further into her and feeling her heart break for this young woman. Thinking of how Carol could have been this young woman.

"My dad made sure the judge threw the books at him." She managed between tears. "Turns out he also had a prior conviction when he was younger, too. A high school girlfriend that he used to slap around. Repeat offender."

"He used to hit Carol. The mother of that little girl in the picture we showed you. That's why she left him, because he hit her. More than once."

She looked over at Merle. "If that's his baby, the best thing you could do is keep him away from her. I still hate myself for letting my own child near him."

"Darling, I'm really sorry that happened to you. You didn't deserve it and your little girl damn sure didn't need to see it." Merle replied softly. "And you're right about him not needing to be around my niece. And far as I'm concerned he won't never be. But let's get one thing straight. That's my brother's youngin. She ain't Ed's. Never has been. Never will be. I just came down here to make sure he knew that and that he didn't ever think about going near my family again. Because if he did then I'd make what Daryl did to him, what Ed did to you, well, I'd make that look like child' play."


	72. Chapter 72

Merle and Andrea ended up staying and talking to that Leah woman for a while longer. Learning more about her life and what led her to end up in the position she was in. How she'd gotten pregnant at sixteen and the piece of shit left her and the baby to fend for herself. How she was a 20 year old single mom fending for herself and her child and how she'd really wanted to buy into everything Ed said. How she'd been desperate to believe every lie he told her because all she wanted was a family for her child. How she'd had a strained relationship with her police officer father after she decided to keep her daughter and drop out of school at the tender age of sixteen. One that really just started to begin being mended after Ed beat the hell out of her. They left that apartment feeling sorrowful for all she'd been through. For all that her four year old daughter, Annie, had to see.

Merle had still been a bit skeptical of her story when they left. But that's just who he was. He didn't trust many people, let alone someone he didn't know from Adam. He'd told Andrea that he was worried she was just trying to protect Ed. That she wasn't telling them the whole truth and he didn't believe the guy was really serving sizable prison sentence. But Andrea used her phone to look up arrest records, newspaper articles, and court cases on the way home. And everything the young girl told them was corroborated with what she'd found.

Both had been eager to tell Carol and Daryl what they'd found out. To let them know they didn't have anything to worry about, at least not any time soon. And even after he got out, there shouldn't be a damn thing to worry about then. Not with two domestic violence charges on him, one of which was counted as a felony and committed in the presence of a child. There was no way any judge in their right mind would let someone like that around a child.

But it was late when they finally got back to Merle's place that night and they didn't wanna disturb the new parents at the hospital. And this wasn't the type of news they wanted to deliver over the phone. So they'd opted to tell them tomorrow. They were going to stop by after they brought Sophia home from the hospital.

Andrea crawled into bed beside Merle that night, scooting as close to him as possible and resting her head on his chest. She smiled widely and circled her hand over his pecs. "You may not always take the time to think things through before you act, but you're a good man. I want you to know that."

Her words filled him with a warm fuzzy feeling while making him completely uncomfortable all at the same time. He wasn't sure he'd ever get used to compliments. To being called good. Because it's not something he ever really saw himself as. "I just did what I had to do for my family." He muttered, trying to brush her off.

"I know. But that's what makes you a good person. It's one of the things I love about you. How much you love your family. That you'd do almost anything in the world for the people you really love."

For a moment he let his emotions get the better of him and he succumb to the soft moment, gently grazing his fingertips over arm. "I love you, too. Glad I've got you. And just so you know, you're one of those people I'd do anything for."

She hummed to herself. Smiling again and burrowing herself further into his chest.

"Hey, Andrea?"

"Yeah."

"If you love me so much and I'm such a damn good person and all why don't you reward me and suck on little Merle for a while? Show him some of all this love."

And just like that, the moment was gone and it was replaced with the blunt, inappropriate, disgusting, side of him that she still found she loved just as much. Because he wouldn't be Merle without it.

()()()

Carol and Daryl had come home from the hospital with Sophia shortly after lunch. They were both beyond ready to be in their own home so they could get a decent night's sleep. Well, as decent as parents of a new born could get anyway. But they both knew they'd sleep a hell of a lot better in their own bed rather than trying to cram the two of them into that hospital bed. Not to mention they wouldn't be bothered by nurses checking in on them in the middle of the night or beeping sounds coming from machines in other rooms.

They'd brought her home in that dress that Daryl had bought for her. The one Carol had fallen in love with before she even knew what she was having that day she went shopping with Lori. And maybe Carol was a little biased, but she was pretty sure her daughter wearing that dress was the most adorable thing she'd ever seen.

Her mom had been so right about everything. She couldn't believe she used to be scared of being a mother. That she used to think she wouldn't know what to do with her own child. Because motherhood just felt so natural to her. Sure, she knew that being a parent would get hard, especially as her daughter got older. But she truly felt like she could handle whatever came her way as a parent, that they could handle whatever came their.

And she couldn't be happier than she was that the three of them in their own house. The house she grew up in. She was so excited for her own daughter to make memories there. She hoped Sophia loved this place as much as she did.

And she was also elated to know Maggie and Glenn were joining them in this parenthood journey. That Sophia would have a friend to play with. That they would trade experiences and lean on each other as they raised their kids.

()()()

"Merle and Andrea asked to stop by. That okay with you?" Daryl asked, looking away from his phone and over at Carol.

"Of course. He's your brother. As long as my parents stayed earlier I don't think I have a right to tell you he can't stop by." She looked down at the blanket currently shielding her breast that Sophia was feeding on. "Just pull this up a little farther for me."

He chuckled and did as she said. "He's gonna be like a dog with a bone as long as you're doing this. Gonna try to take a peek every chance he gets. "

She chuckled too, knowing exactly how right he was and also realizing it would probably get to a point she'd stop trying to cover her girls up. But her nipples were sore and swollen from the adjustment to a baby latching onto them and she wasn't exactly ready to display them to the world just yet.

The roaring sound of Merle's loud truck rolling down the hill had them both looking out the window.

"I thought you said he just asked if he could come over?"

"Well, he did, kinda. He said he was on the way. But if you didn't want him here I was just going to tell him to fuck off and go home."

()()()

"How you feeling, darling." Merle asked as he walked over and pulled Carol in for a hug.

"Pretty good considering I just pushed a seven pound human being out of my vagina barely two days ago." She smirked.

He shook his head and looked over to Daryl, forming a giant circle with his hands. "Ain't never gonna be the same."

Carol scowled at him, knowing she couldn't smack him like she wanted to since Sophia was in her arms, but luckily, Andrea and Daryl both did it for her. Each planting a hard smack on the back of his head.

He rubbed the spot tenderly and frowned up. "I'm always getting hit and all I damn do is speak the truth. It ain't fucking right."

"Nah, all you ever do is talk out of your ass." Daryl grumbled.

Andrea pulled Carol in for a hug of her own, gingerly running a finger over Sophia's head. "Being a mom looks good on you." She smiled.

She snorted at that. "Stop. I'm sure I look as rough as I feel."

"Stop." Daryl said softly. Moving to take back his seat next to her. "You look beautiful. Both my girls are beautiful."

"Why can't you be more like your brother?" Andrea teased.

"Because I have testicles." He muttered.

Daryl scowled at him and slapped his hand out, tapping Merle square in the nut sack.

"Son of a bitch!" He yelped, but not retaliating because of the close proximity Daryl was in to the baby. "That's gonna be the first and last fucking child y'all have when I get my hands on you."

Carol shook her head and looked down at Sophia. "With your daddy and uncle Merle around it's going to be like having three of you."

()()()

Things finally settled down and Daryl and Merle quit acting like five year olds. The four adults settled into some normal conversation and Sophia finished feeding. Merle had asked to hold her once she did and as he was holding her in his arms he found that this was the right time to tell them where he and Andrea had been last night. To tell them what they knew about Ed. He cleared his throat and looked over at Andrea, she gave him a small nod and he looked back at the couple on the couch. "Andrea and I went on a little road trip last night."

"What? Y'all run away and get married or something?" Daryl joked.

"Yeah. Is she pregnant, too?"

Merle shook his head and sucked in a deep breathe, cradling Sophia closer to him. "I got something to tell you both damn it, and it's serious."

The two straightened up and gave him their full attention.

He relayed everything to them. The story of how their dad had showed up at the hospital. His spur of the moment trip to hunt down Ed. Meeting Leah and her daughter. He didn't leave out a single detail. And when he was done talking both Carol and Daryl sat together in hushed silence. Daryl gripping her hand tightly in his.

"How long will he be locked up?" Carol finally asked.

"He got the maximum sentence. Six years." Andrea informed her. "It was a felony charge. Repeat offense. Committed in front of a child. I don't see any way in hell of him ever having a chance of getting near Sophia. I don't think a judge would even grant him a DNA test when he got out if there was a chance. Not after that long of her knowing Daryl as her father and him being on the birth certificate."

She just nodded. Feeling a mix of emotions at this news. Sadness for the mother and child that had to endure that. Relief that her daughter was free from any claim this man could lay on her. Knowing he was behind bars and wouldn't hurt anyone again for a long time. "Merle, I…..I can't ever thank you enough."

"I didn't do anything."

"You found out for us." Daryl replied. "Now we ain't gotta worry. You sent our old man away from the hospital. And if you'd of found Ed, you would've done something. I don't know what, but I know you drove down there for a reason. And I'm glad you didn't have to do whatever it was, because I damn sure didn't wanna be visiting you in a jail cell."

"We love you, Merle. You're an important part of this family, and I'm glad you're my daughter's uncle."

()()()

Merle and Andrea eventually left. And before long it was time for Daryl and Carol to go to sleep. Or sleep until Sophia woke them up demanding her next meal anyway. He slid in bed beside Carol, who was holding Sophia in her arms as the child stared up her, bright eyed and wide awake. Taking in her new world. He leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead. "You ain't sleepy, sweetheart?" He cooed to the little girl.

Carol smiled at him and rested her head on his shoulder. She looked down at her daughter once more and, a certain heaviness settled over her. "That could've been me. It could've been her."

Daryl started to say that he was damn sure glad it was that other girl and not them. But he stopped himself. Because that woman was someone's child. And her own child had witnessed that, and as glad as he was that it wasn't Carol, as a parent he couldn't feel right saying he was glad it was someone else. "But it wasn't you. It wasn't Sophia. You're here with me. Both of you. And you ain't ever gotta worry about nothing like that happening."

"Men like him, they don't deserve to exist." She replied, coldy. "The only reason he didn't come after me was because he'd found her before I left. If he hadn't of…I don't wanna think about what would've happened if he'd shown up here. If he'd have done to me what he did to her, I might not have Sophia today." She found it a little strange that she was probably one of the few people in the world who could say she wasn't sad about being cheated on. That she was thankful for the other woman, because it had probably saved her in the long run. Saved her child. And maybe it should make her feel self-conscious, maybe it should make her worry that Daryl might cheat one day, but it didn't. He wasn't comparable to Ed in a single way. And she truly believed he'd never do anything to hurt her. Physically or emotionally.

"But he didn't. Sophia's here and she's just fine." He wrapped an arm around Carol and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I love you."

"I love you, too." She paused and took a deep breath, wondering if she was going to sound awful thinking what she did, but feeling the need to say it. "Do you think it's wrong for me to wish something bad would happen to him while he's in prison? Do you think it makes me a terrible person?"

"No, it don't. And if it did it'd make me an even worse person, because I'd kill him if I knew I could get away with it."

She gripped her daughter tighter in her arms. Hoping she'd never meet a man like Ed. Hoping she'd meet someone with a heart like Daryl's. Hoping someday her daughter would find someone to love her the same way she loved Daryl and the same way she knew he loved her. Selflessly. Whole heartedly. Completely unconditionally. And she hoped that she and that boy she did meet one day would be smart enough not to run from it the first time around.

"He's out of our lives now." She finally stated, looking up at Daryl. "You're right. We don't ever have to worry about him again. And as far as I'm concerned we don't ever have to mention him or think about him again."

And laid there beside Daryl that night with her daughter in her arms, she couldn't help feeling a certain weight lift off of her shoulders. Sure, it had been a rough nine months. She'd cried more than she probably had her entire life. She'd been more stressed out than she ever thought was possible. But she'd made it, they'd made it, and been blessed with something pretty amazing at the end of it. And the innocence she saw in her child, the feeling of peace she got when looking in Sophia's eyes, that gave her all the more hope that things would all be okay from here on out. That this next year really was going to be the best year of their lives like Daryl had told her it would be on New Year's Eve.

 **(Everything from here out will be looked at from a future perspective. We have maybe two or three chapters left, then this story will officially be over after six months. I really hope that you guys enjoyed this. Thank you for reading and a huge thanks to anyone who took the time to review. Reviews to my stories are basically what Starbucks is to my life. That would be motivation, in case anyone was wondering.)**


	73. Chapter 73

Three months had passed by since Sophia's birth. Carol and Daryl had both settled into the routine of being new parents rather well. The first few weeks had been a bit of an adjustment. Especially dealing with the sleepless nights a newborn brought about, but they'd made it. She started gradually sleeping more and more. She'd started sleeping through the night about two weeks ago, and it was a habit both parents hoped she'd stick with.

Carol's parents were initially going to stay in King County for a few weeks after Sophie was born. They'd wanted to be available to help the new parents in any way possible and bond with their first born grandchild. A few weeks turned into a month and then a month turned into two and then they decided there was no sense in leaving until after the wedding. And a large part of Carol doubted they'd even leave then. They were enamored with their grandchild. She often joked with them that they loved Sophia more than her. She was pretty sure they wouldn't want to give the child back after they watched her so she and Daryl could go on their honeymoon.

Their honeymoon was going to be the first time they'd left Sophia with someone else more than a few hours. She'd yet to return to work. The hospital had given her two months paid maternity leave. Then she'd dipped into her vacation time to have an extended paid leave. She was supposed to start back to work the week after they get married. But the thought of leaving her child with someone else made her stomach twist in knots. And Daryl wasn't much better about it. Practically turning down every daycare they'd look at without as much as a second glance. Her mother had laughed and said it was just part of being a first time parent. That they'd gladly hand their second child off to whatever place was cheapest and not think twice about it.

Daryl told her if she wanted to quit work she could. He'd been sure to clarify he wasn't asking her to do that and that he never would, but when she'd broken down one night about not wanting to leave Sophia with anyone he'd said that they could manage on one income for a while if that's what she wanted to do. She knew he was right. The shop was flourishing. They weren't rich by any means, and between car payments, rent, monthly bills, food, and things for the baby they had a good bit of overhead. But with some money she had put up they could make it for a while without struggling too hard. And she'd considered it briefly, she really had. But she'd worked hard for her degree and she knew if she didn't go back now she might not ever. She was sure it wouldn't be any easier when Sophia was six months or even a year old.

Things had a way of working themselves out, though. Dale stopped by the shop one day to check on things. See how the boys and business were doing. He'd asked how Carol and Sophia were doing and the sitter and work issue had come up. He'd volunteered to keep her. It had taken Daryl a little by surprise, but he knew how crazy Andrea and Amy were about Dale and that she'd be safe with him. He ran the idea by Carol and she'd been hesitant at first. Not wanting to feel like they were putting him out and being a little worried he'd tire of it at his age. But then he'd pay them all three a visit at the house on evening and Sophia took right to him. They trusted him and they knew she'd be taken care of.

Life was good for them right now. Not perfect, because that's life and nothing ever truly is. But it was a hell of a lot better than it had been at times over the last year. And it was about to get a little bit better.

()()()

Carol fidgeted about in her bed that night, unable to sleep for anything. She just couldn't fall asleep. Despite how tightly she shut her eyes, no matter how quiet and still she laid, no matter how close she cradled her sleeping three month old daughter, sleep still evaded her. Her brain wouldn't shut down as she eagerly anticipated what the next day held.

Tomorrow was her wedding day. The day she would get to marry her best friend, the love of her life, the man she was raising a child with. It was a day she'd secretly started dreaming about when she was probably around twelve years old, and as of tomorrow, it would be her reality. She would become Mrs. Daryl Dixon. In front of all of their family and friends, with their daughter right there with them, in a place that meant something to both of them, they'd become man and wife.

Some people might think her sleepless state was spawned by normal pre-wedding jitters. Worry and fear about what could go wrong. Doubt about whether or not she was making the right choice and if she was ready to spend the rest of her life with someone. She didn't feel any of that, though. Not at all. After everything they'd been through, she was confident that their marriage could withstand almost anything. That they'd both stand by one another through whatever life tossed their way. She knew she was making the right choice with him. That there was no way in hell she'd ever regret marrying this man. No, her sleeplessness spawned from a mixture of excitement at the thought of standing of front of their loved ones and promising their eternal love to one another and the fact her soon to be husband wasn't sleeping next to her for the first time in a long time.

He was at Merle's house for the night. An idea that resulted from her parent's persistence. They insisted it was bad luck for the bride and groom to spend the night together before the marriage. She thought it was a silly tradition. And she hadn't intended to keep it, but her parents had been adamant and they'd both finally relented and agreed. It was only one night. They could survive, right?

Carol tried to gingerly move positions and see if that might help bring about sleep. If even for a few hours. She didn't wanna fall asleep at her own wedding. But the movement must have disturbed Sophia because she started to restlessly stir in her arms and let out a few dis-satisfied cries. "Shhh. Mommy's got you, sweetheart. It's okay." She tried to quell the infant's cries, because her parents were asleep in the next room. They'd decided to stay the night with her instead of at the RV Park so they could be here in the morning and start helping her get ready.

Her efforts to calm the child were being largely ignored as the cries became even louder. She'd eaten not long before she'd fallen asleep and she doubted she could be hungry again. A quick diaper check revealed that wasn't the problem either. She hummed and looked down at her daughter. "Do you miss your daddy, too? Is that it?"

She let out another wail and as her face grew redder she moved to stand up with her. Hoping that would appease her. As she went to stand up a light tap on her window had her head jerking. The noise must've distracted Sophia, too, because her head turned in that direction and her cries quieted. When the tapping continued and grew a little louder she approached the window and let up her blinds. A knowing look on her face as she peered out of the glass.

"You gonna let me in or not?" Daryl called out.

She laughed and shook her head, reaching out with one hand and unlocking the window and letting it up for him. She watched as he climbed in and rocked Sophia who'd started whining a little again. "You're not supposed to be here. You know that, right?"

He shut the window and flipped the lock. Turing around to face his soon to be wife and his child. "Can't sleep."

"Yeah. Me either."

He stepped towards her and moved a hand to her side as he placed a kiss on her lips. "Missed you." He muttered against her lips. When he pulled away he then reached out and took Sophia from her, cradling her in his owns. "Hey, sweetheart. Daddy missed you, too."

Sophia looked up at him and grinned then babbled up at him. Her state of annoyance temporarily on hold.

Carol just shook her head at that. Of course she'd stop crying when he held her. Those two had a very tight bond. He could make her smile wider than anyone could and there were times she'd cry for no reason until Daryl would pick her up. She had him trained already. She hated to see how high he'd jump for her once she could verbally ask for something. "We missed you, too." Carol told him, brushing her hand across his forehead where his bangs used to hang. He'd cut his hair for the wedding. And it honestly made him look a hell of a lot younger than actually he was. He barely looked 20 with his hair this short, nothing like the 25 year old man he was. It looked good on him, though. And it made her think of the boy she'd grown up with. The boy she'd fallen in love with all those years ago.

He slinked his free arm around her waist and walked them towards the bed, climbing in first and pulling her in beside him. He handed Sophia to her mother as he pulled his shirt off and tossed it to the side. He then grabbed his daughter and rested her on his chest where she'd pick her head up every now and then to study his face or reach up and try to tug at his goatee. He felt Carol curl up next to him and lock both arms around one of his as she nuzzled against his bicep and he let his head fall on hers. "You nervous about tomorrow?" He asked as he felt her breathing even out as she laid against him.

"Not at all. What about you? Are you getting cold feet?" She teased, sending her foot sliding down his leg until it connected with his.

"Nah. Been waiting on this day since I asked you to marry me."

She tightened her grip around his arm. "Are you gonn stay here all night?"

"I ain't leaving my girls again. You're gonna have toss my ass out if you want me to leave." He chuckled.

"Mom and dad said it's bad luck. Maybe I should."

"I don't believe in luck."

"Do you believe in fate?"

"Huh?"

"Fate. You know, us moving back at almost the exact same time. Ending up together in the end. Some people might call that fate."

He hummed at that. "I don't know. Could just be one big ass coincidence. Could be because I manned the fuck up and realized what the hell I really wanted. Could be because that's just the way it's supposed to be. I ain't never really wondered what the reason behind it was." He admitted. "I just know I'm glad it happened and I ain't ever giving it up again." He pressed a kiss on the top of her head. "Now stop talking and let's go to sleep. I kinda got this thing to be at tomorrow."

"Oh yeah? Sounds important?" She grinned.

"It's kinda important. See, I get to marry the most beautiful woman in the world who gave me the most beautiful little girl in the world. And I kinda been crushing on this woman since I was 8 years old. So, it's been a long time coming."

"Sounds like a lucky girl."

"She is, I'm a pretty good catch." He winced as he felt her pinch his side and he grinned at her. "I'm luckier, though."

()()()

Daryl had slipped out of her window that morning before her parents woke up. He'd kissed her and Sophia goodbye and told them he loved them then headed back to Merle's so he could get ready for their wedding. Carol felt slight nostalgia a she realized that it was probably the last time he'd ever have to sneak her window again. Well, technically it was their window now. A window that used to be an escape from the horrors that lied within his home growing up. A window that opened up and let her further into his closed off little world. They'd connected in an entirely different way during those nights he'd hide away tucked in her closet. It strengthened their bond and understanding into what it was today. It allowed her to be his safe place, and he'd returned the favor and been hers when she needed him to be most.

She was reflecting on their past and pondering their future together as she stood in front of the mirror in her make shift bridal chamber.

"Baby girl, you look so beautiful.

She turned around and saw her father standing behind her, holding Sophia in his arms. She started blushing and briefly looked at the ground.

Bob shifted Sophia in his arms so she was looking at her mother. The child's face lit up like a Christmas tree and she squealed.

Carol smiled and reached out for her, taking her into her own arms.

"See, she thinks her mama is beautiful, too. Ain't that right, Sophia?"

"Is that right, sweetheart? Do you think mommy's beautiful?" The child babbled something inaudible and grabbed her mother's finger. She kissed the top of her daughter's head and when she looked back up at her father she noticed he was blinking back tears. "What's wrong, daddy?"

He cleared his throat and deepened his voice. "Nothing. Just hard to believe my little girl's a mommy and she's getting married." His voice softened and he had to blink rapidly again to stop a tear from flowing. "And you just look so beautiful, today and every day. You know that, right? I can go put my foot up Daryl's ass if he's not reminding you enough."

She chuckled at that. "He tells me all the time. You don't have to worry about that."

"Good. I knew I liked the boy for a reason."

She rolled her eyes at that. Things grew quiet and a thought crossed her mind. "Hey, daddy?"

"Huh?"

"Do you really think its bad luck if the bride and groom spend the night together before their married?"

This time her dad was the one to chuckle. "What time did Daryl leave this morning?"

She arched a brow. "You knew he was there?"

He nodded. "I bet your mother a meal at Steak and Shake if we told you two that he'd still crawl through your window to be with you and Sophia last night."

Of course her parents would do something like that. "So you don't really think its bad luck then? We didn't put some ancient curse on our marriage that's going to make it destined for doom."

"I don't believe in luck. You should've known that when we told you that bullshit to start with. Life's what you make it, baby girl. You want something, you work hard and fight like hell for it. No matter how hard it is. Even when you think you can't make it another day, you push like hell and make it through. You and Daryl? Well, I'm not the least bit worried about you two. See, I used to think this would be the hardest day of my life. Giving you away. But Daryl's a good man and I know he loves you and my granddaughter more than anything. And I know you feel the same way. I know I'm not losing my daughter today, I'm just gaining a son. Besides, we both know that even though your last name might be changing today, you've already been his for a long time now and he's been yours."

"Thanks, daddy." She replied, leaning up and wrapping an around his neck. "I'm glad you're here for this. I can't believe we almost lost you."

"Pfft. I wasn't letting some heart attack take me out that easily. I wouldn't miss this. Wouldn't miss being here to watch Sophia grow up." He pressed kiss on top of his own daughter's head, tightening his grip on her and pulling her in close. "I'm very proud of the young woman you are. I couldn't ask for more in a daughter. I hope you know that."

()()()

They were married at the river. He'd brought the topic up as a joke one night when they couldn't decide on a venue. She'd fallen in love with the idea and ran with it. It was place they had a lot of history. Somewhere they spent many days together during the spring and summer growing up. It was where they first really talked for the first time in six years. It was where he'd asked her to marry him. It seemed fitting.

The ceremony was small. Around 30 people in attendance. But that's how they wanted it. Just people that cared about them and people that they cared about. They didn't need some huge shin dig. It wasn't who they were.

Her dad had walked her down the aisle, one arm linked around his daughter's while he held his granddaughter in the other. All of their friends had been bridesmaids and groomsmen. Merle, of course, had been best man.

The reception was held going to be held on the Greenway. Lori's café had catered the whole thing and she'd made them a wedding cake. She'd equipped the groom with a crossbow and the bride with a stethoscope.

It was a cute ceremony, one that had a very southern feel to it. Daryl and Merle had even made wooden benches out of pallets for the guests to sit on. The tables for the reception had also been hand made by Daryl and Merle. The drinks were even served in Mason jars.

And on the Greenway, with a live band playing, they were about to have their first dance as husband and wife.

"Alright ladies and gentlemen, here's what we've all been waiting for since the day this pretty lady gave my baby brother his very first hard on. Mr. and Mrs. Daryl Dixon." Merle crudely announced to the crowd.

Laughs, cheers and whistles erupted as the strolled out in front of everyone linked arm in arm.

"You're shaking a little." Carol whispered into his ear.

'Am not." He mumbled like a small child.

"Having regrets already? Looking for the best way to exit an open area unnoticed?" She teased.

"Nah. Not a damn one." He tightened his grip around her arm. "Just felt nervous as hell standing in front of all those people. I probably sounded like a twelve year old."

"Maybe a little, but was cute."

"Alright you two, time for your first dance." Merle shouted. "Don't embarrass yourself too bad, little brother. Just keep your rhythm and take your time. Dancing is a lot like."

"Merle." Carol's dad barked.

"Sorry. Now go on you two, get this over with so we can eat."

"Why in the hell did we decide to let your brother have a microphone?"

"Because he's still got his panties in a wad that Rick and Lori are godparents."

"There is that." She chuckled as Wild Horses by Rolling Stones started to play.

He maneuvered his arms around her lower back, pulling her in as close to him as possible. He felt her arms go up and wrap around his neck and she was looking up at him, pure love and devotion in her eyes, and she was smiling at him radiantly. And for the second time this evening he was overcome with how breathtaking looked. His leaned down and rested his forehead against hers then placed his lips on hers. When he pulled away he trained his eyes on her again and tugged at his bottom lip. "You're gorgeous, sweetheart."

"You clean up pretty nice yourself, pookie." She let her hand fall from its position behind his neck and gently rubbed the side of his freshly shaven face.

He didn't say stop. He didn't scoff at her for calling him that. He didn't get embarrassed. Instead, he just gently swayed back and forth with her in his arms, hoping he wasn't looking like too much of an idiot in front of all those people. But it didn't really matter that much if he did, because she was his main focus right now. And she would be for the rest of his life.

 **(I'm not that happy with this, but it is what it is. This is what I came up with after several tries. One, possibly two more chapters that will be a few years into the future and then we are done. Thanks for reading and reviewing.)**


	74. Chapter 74

_***About Three years later***_

A shrill cry startled Carol awake early one Saturday morning. She looked over to the basinet beside her bed to see the four month old baby boy wide awake and very unhappy at the moment. She glanced down and saw Sophia sprawled out in the bed with her and Daryl. Her head was resting on Carol's stomach and she was positioned in an awkward angle with her feet resting in her daddy's face. Despite the piercing cries coming from the baby, Sophia was still out like a light. As was Daryl, who appeared to be sleeping just as peacefully as their daughter.

Carol gingerly slide Sophia's head out from under her, being sure not to wake the little girl in the process. She quietly slid out of bed and bent down to pick the baby boy up. "I get it Xander, you're hungry." She chuckled as she scooped him into her arms. She couldn't get over how heavy the boy was. Sophia had been small and petite, she still was, but Xander was bulky, like a miniature little football player.

She headed to the kitchen and pulled an already made bottle from the refrigerator. She quickly heated it up as she rocked the infant to try and quell his cries. Not that it helped any, he was an impatient child. An impatient child with the loudest set of lungs she'd ever heard. He wouldn't stop crying until he got what he wanted. Whether that meant being fed, held, or changed, it didn't matter. Whatever he was in the mood for at the moment was what he was going to scream for until he got. "I wonder where you got your temper from." She said with a laugh as she waited for the bottle to be ready.

When the bottle was heated she took him to the living room and sat in the rocking chair to feed him. As soon as the nipple was in his mouth he went to town eating and all of his woes were forgotten. She looked down at the baby boy, running her hand through one of his many curly blond locks and looking into his large, round blue eyes. He had a mischievous look about him, even when was doing something as innocent as eating. This kid was going to be a handful, she already knew that much.

()()()

About an hour later Daryl began blinking his eyes open, only slightly surprised to find a tiny pair of feet in his face. He glanced over and noticed Carol was already up. He craned his neck over to look at the basinet and noticed the baby was no longer in it. He wondered how long she'd been up and if the baby had woken her. He carefully reached up and lifted Sophia's feet so he could slide out from under her. He gently placed them on his pillow before leaving the room.

He made his way from the bedroom into the living room, noticing Xander resting peacefully in the pack and play. The aroma of bacon filled his nose and he made his way into the kitchen to find his wife at the stove making breakfast. He slowly walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, placing a soft kiss along her neck. "Morning." He mumbled.

"Morning." She replied, whipping around to face him and placing a kiss on his lips.

"You been up long?" He asked, grabbing a piece of bacon from the plate on the counter.

"Maybe an hour. Xander woke up screaming. He was hungry and you know how is when he wants something."

"Gets all pissy like his old man."

"Exactly." She chuckled. She reached out and grabbed some more bacon out of the frying pan and put it on the plate next to the stove. "It's your turn to get up with him next time, by the way."

"Just wake me up next time if he don't."

"I don't see how he didn't. He's loudest baby I've ever heard in my life. You woke up almost every single time Sophia cried when she was a baby and she wasn't half that loud."

He hummed. Knowing damn well she was right. When she'd cried they'd both jumped back then. Even when she was breastfeeding and hadn't pumped much so he couldn't feed her himself, he'd still woken up and stayed up with them almost every single time. Even now, if she ever woke up in the middle of the night, they'd both end up getting up and going to her room. Occasionally bringing her back to their room for the night. She was pretty good about staying in her own room though, last night she'd wanted to stay in there with them so she could be near the baby. She adored Xander. Which was good, Daryl thought, because she'd been jealous as hell at first. "That's my little girl, I'm always gonna come running when she cries."

Just then cries started coming from the living room. Carol looked over to Daryl and smiled. "Your turn, remember? I've gotta finish breakfast."

He nodded and took off to the living room, leaning down and picking up the boy up into his strong arms. "It's alright, Xander, Uncle Daryl's got you." He headed back to the kitchen with his nephew in his arms. He ain't wet or nothing. Think he just got a little lonely in there by himself."

She watched as Daryl began lifting him over his head and cooing to him, earning small giggles and wide smiles from their nephew. He was a damn good uncle, and he was an even better father. For someone who'd never wanted kids, he sure as hell was good with them. "Merle and Andrea are gonna be here to pick him up in about an hour."

"They ain't gotta be in a hurry to get back. Sophia's gonna wanna spend some time with him before he goes and she's still knocked out."

"I noticed. She had her feet in your face when I got up."

"They were still there when I woke up." He laughed. "She sleeps in the weirdest damn positons ever."

"My parents are gonna be here to get her after lunch. Her bags are packed already."

"You put her doll in there?"

"Of course. They'd get to Florida and have to drive all the way back if I didn't. She'd have a meltdown."

Carol's parent's had eventually gotten back out on the road when Sophia was around six months old. Though they spent considerably less time traveling now. They might stay gone two months, then they'd come home and stay for one. And sometimes they'd take Sophia with them if they were going on short trips. And the trip they were going on was one just for Sophia. They were going to Florida for a week. They were going to take her to Disney World and the Aquarium.

The first time her parents had to hound to hell out of them to let her go on a trip with them. Neither of them had been comfortable with having her gone for a week. But Sophia loved her grandparents dearly and pitched a fit to go with them so they'd reluctantly relented. She'd had a wonderful time and her parents had constantly sent pictures and updates and they'd gradually grown more comfortable with it. Though they still missed her like crazy while she was gone.

The only people she'd ever stayed with, other than Dale during the day, were their closest friends. All of whom also had very different lives now than they did three years ago.

She loved to play with Maggie and Glenn's son, Hershel. He'd been born 8 months after Sophia. Sometimes she'd spend the night with them or they'd get the boy or the night.

Rick and Lori followed with a child a little after Sophia was born. A boy named Carl. Lori had decided she wanted another child immediately and they started trying again as soon as they could after he was born. She'd had a daughter named Judith who was eleven months younger than their son.

Michonne and Morgan had grown serious, but still didn't have a child of their own together. They lived together, though and she was an active participant in his son's life.

Shane didn't have any children, though he had met woman he'd started to seriously date.

Andrea and Merle had wound up with Xander, who was definitely a surprise. One that Merle had tried to act upset about, but Daryl could read behind the façade. He knew his brother had secretly been thrilled at the idea of having a child of his own. He was a wonderful uncle to Sophia and he'd become a great father to his own son. He'd asked Andrea to marry him shortly after the baby was born, though they hadn't gotten around to planning the wedding yet. Sometimes it was hard to believe how much Merle really had grown up.

They had system with Merle and Andrea, one that had really more so spawned from Sophia's love of her younger cousin than it did anything else. One night a month Andrea and Merle would keep Sophia at their house and then another night Daryl and Carol would keep Xander. It was good system and it gave both parents a night with just each other. Andrea always joked with Merle that it was preparing them for life with two kids, a joke he didn't find funny. As much as he loved his young son, he wasn't in a hurry to add another Dixon to the mix. Especially since he had a feeling his son was going to be a slightly watered down version of himself. He wasn't sure he could handle two of those.

The sound of tiny stomps coming towards the kitchen had Daryl and Carol turning to see their daughter walking in the room. Lips poked out into a thin, angry line and tiny arms crossed over her chest. Her short blond hair was sticking up everywhere and her bug blue eyes were narrowed on her parents.

Carol had to stifle a laugh at the sight before her, knowing it would probably only further agitate the child. "Morning, sweetheart. Are you hungry?"

"No." Sophia pouted, extending her bottom lip out.

As he looked at the way his daughter was pouting he couldn't help but think of how her mother looked exactly the same way on the rare occasion he did something to piss her off. Sometimes it amazed Daryl how much Sophia looked like her mother. Everyone always told Carol she might as well have spit her out. And it was the truth. The nose, the lips, the blue eyes, the cheekbones, her petite build, well that was all her mama. She even had her mother's pale skin and freckles. The only thing that didn't come from Carol was her hair. It was blond and, unlike her mother's, Sophia's hair was straight. People outside of their circle who didn't know that she biologically didn't belong to Daryl often attributed that characteristic to him. He and Merle were both blond headed as children. It turned dirty blond as they aged and didn't reach light brown color until their late teens/early twenties. Daryl, nor Carol, could really piece together where her hair color came from. Ed had dark hair and brown eyes, and Carol said his family all had the same. It must have been some recessive gene somewhere in the gene pool that randomly showed up in Sophia.

Daryl never really thought about Sophia not being his biological child. Ever since that night in the hospital when she was born and Carol's dad assured him that he was Sophia's father no matter what, and that Sophia would know that, he hadn't too much let the thought cross his mind that she wasn't genetically his. It didn't matter that he didn't make her. She was his daughter and nothing would ever change that fact. He'd been there pretty much since she was conceived and he'd raised her for her entire life. The only love that could rival what he felt for his child was what he felt for Carol, but those were two completely different types of love. He loved them both more than life itself and he wasn't sure he would ever be able to live without either of them. They were his entire world.

"You wake up on the wrong side of the bed or something?" Daryl teased the girl, reaching down with his hand that wasn't gripping his nephew and ruffing up his daughter's hair even more than it already was.

She jerked away from her daddy and looked up at him scowling. "I'm mad at you. You not wake me up." She pouted. "I wanted to get up when Z got up. I wanna play with him."

Carol reached down and lifted her child, who was squirming to get away. She placed a kiss on her cheek that the child quickly wiped away. "You can play with Xander now. We just got up not too long ago. He wasn't in a good mood when he woke up either. He was really fussy."

"Okay, mama." She sighed dramatically. "Put me down so I can play with my cousin now."

"Tell daddy to take you to brush your teeth, and his, and then you can go in the living room and play with the baby until Uncle Merle and Aunt Andrea get here. Then nanny and papa will be here to get you shortly after that."

She nodded eagerly and wrapped her arms around her mother's neck tightly. When she let go she placed a kiss on Carol's cheek. "I love you, mama."

"I love you, too. Now go brush your teeth."

Sophia squirmed out of her arms and ran to Daryl, grabbing onto his hand and jerking it in her direction. "Let's go brush our teethies, daddy."

Daryl placed Xander in the bouncer and followed Sophia to the bathroom to make sure she brushed her teeth and to take care of his own. When they returned to the living room Sophia was asking to hold her little cousin. He picked the baby up out of the bouncer and sat on the couch with him. Sophia crawled up in his lap and he carefully positioned the baby in her arms, being sure to wrap his own arm around her and the baby in case she lost her grip on him.

Sophia looked up at her daddy and smiled, straining her little neck so she could place a kiss on his stubbly face. She giggled at the tickling feel it left on her cheek like she always did. "Thanks, love you, daddy."

"Love you, sweetheart."

She then leaned down and pressed a kiss on top of her little cousin's head. "He's got hair like me." She pointed out.

"Yep. Sure does"

"Daddy?"

"Huh?"

"Was I a damn oopsie?"

Daryl felt himself tense and his jaw clench, wondering why the child would ask such a question in the first place and where she'd learned a cuss word from. Sure, he still cussed like a sailor, but he was careful not to do it in front of her because she was at the age she was repeating everything. "Who told you that, Soph? And taught you that word?" He forced his voice to remain calm so he didn't scare her or the baby, but inside he was ready to fume.

"Unca Merle."

"He did, did he? I'm gonna have a little chat with your Uncle Merle."

"Yep." She assured him proudly. "He told Auntie Andrea baby Z was a big damn oopsie and they better not have no more." Her voice grew a little sad. "Was I one too? Ain't oopsies bad?"

Merle and his big ass damn mouth. Daryl thought. He knew his brother only said it in a joking way, but kids didn't understand things the way adults did. And he'd spent Sophia's entire life trying to make her know she was very wanted and a very important part of their family. Hell, he knew Merle treated his son the same way and Daryl damn sure treated his nephew that way, too. He never wanted either kid to feel one tenth of what they felt growing up.

Daryl took a deep breath as he thought of the best thing to say. "Uncle Merle didn't mean that, sweetheart. He was just joking with Aunt Andrea. Xander ain't an oopsie. He was just a surprise, but they love him and wouldn't trade him for anything. Uncle Merle just ain't as funny as he thinks he is"

"Was I a surprise, too?"

He pursed his lips together and nodded his head. "Yeah….yeah you were a surprise. A really big one at that. But you're the best surprise your mama and me ever got and we love you more than anything."

()()()

Eventually Merle and Andrea came and picked up Xander and Carol's parents came and got Sophia and it was just the two of them alone in the house. Daryl had been outside cutting grass while Carol had opted to stay inside and catch up on some cleaning . He'd just gotten out of the shower and came and taken a seat on the couch when she walked up next to him and climbed in his lap. She let her head fall to his chest he wrapped an arm around her.

She let out an exaggerated sigh. "What are we gonna do without having our kid around for the next week? It's already too quiet in here."

"Oh, I can think of a few fun ways to pass the time. And trust me, ain't nothing gonna be quiet in here with what I got in mind." He replied, huskily as he began nipping at her neck.

"Oh yeah?" She purred.

"Mhm." He growled against her skin.

She reached up and cupped his face, bringing his lips down to hers and placing a hungry kiss on them.

()()()

She was resting against his chest when they were done and he was holding her in his arms as they laid on the couch. She loved her daughter and wouldn't trade her for anything in the world, but she lived for stolen moments like this between her and Daryl. Balancing life as a working wife and mother was demanding. It wasn't that they didn't get to have sex any more, they always made time for that, but those intimate moments where they could just lay together and cuddle after didn't happen as often as she'd like. Daryl would get a tow call or Sophia would wake up screaming from a bad dream, or she'd remember she hadn't made lunch for the next day or that she needed to wash clothes.

She propped herself up on her elbows and moved her lips against his. "I love you."

"Love you, too."

When she pulled away she locked her eyes on his, staring into those blue orbs of his.

"What's on your mind?" He finally asked her.

"I heard what Sophia asked you earlier. About the oopsie."

"Merle's a damn, dumbass." He muttered. "I'm gonna talk to him at work about watching the kinda shit he says around her."

"It's alright. Merle's just…well, he's Merle." She laughed. "I think you handled her question very well. I don't think I could've said it any better."

"Meant what I said." He replied, resolutely. "She is the best damn surprise we ever got."

She looked down and began tracing circles across his chest. She glanced over at the tattoo on his chest. One that was above his heart and read her own name. He'd gotten it not long after they were married. She reached down to his right forearm and began tracing the tattoo along it, it was Sophia's name. "Yeah, she really was."

He reached up and cupped her chin, bringing her face up so she could meet his eyes again. "Tell me what else is on your mind? I know you, something else is swirling around up there." He could hear in her voice that she was thinking about something else she wasn't telling him.

"You don't know me." She grinned.

"Pffft. Okay. Keep telling yourself that. Only been married to you three damn years and known you almost my whole life."

"Three years next month." She corrected.

"You know what I mean." He rolled his eyes. "Now tell me what you're thinking about."

"Are you, uh, are you up for another surprise?"

His mouth gaped a little as he carefully tried to school his expressions. "This your way of telling me you're pregnant?"

"No. No. Not yet. But I think I wanna be." She didn't know why, but this conversation made her nervous. They'd never discussed having more children. She'd once jokingly told him after Maggie went into labor with baby Hershel that the only way they'd ever have more was if he could carry them, but he laughed it off and hadn't said anything back. She'd always known she wanted more than one child. She knew Daryl had known that, too, just from growing up with her. But she hadn't brought the issue up. They'd been busy raising Sophia and she hadn't thought much about it. Not until lately anyway.

He'd thought about having another baby once. Right after his nephew was born. It made him feel nostalgic for the days Sophia was that little and he used to cradle her in his arms like that. She was getting older now, becoming fiercely independent. She still loved to be held or sit in their lap, but only when she wanted to. She'd constantly remind them she wasn't a little girl anymore, but that she was becoming a big girl. But Sophia had been jealous of the baby at first and it made him worry how she'd react if they had a child of their own. She was used to being the center of attention.

He swallowed hard and looked up her. "This something you really want?"

"I do, but I'm not making this decision without you. I'm not going to just get off my birth control and come home telling you I'm pregnant one day. If we have another baby this is going to be a mutual decision we come to on together this time."

"I let you have the dog and the damn cat, and I didn't put up much of a fuss. But this.." He grabbed her hands in his and gave them a squeeze. "This is a big deal. It's a really big deal. I think it's something we should think about.

He'd found a black and white kitten under a car at work. He'd brought it home and cleaned it up and they were supposed to find it a home. She and Sophia gave him puppy dog eyes and asked to keep it and he'd caved. He constantly complained about it the first few weeks, but it always climbed up on his lap or perched itself on his shoulder. It was bound and determined he was going to love it. And it won, too. He was always scratching it on the head when he came in from work or letting it lay on the couch with him.

The dog, well, that had been a different story entirely. The neighbor's chocolate lab had puppies and one wondered in their yard one day. Sophia played with it for hours and Carol had fallen in love, too. She'd convinced him it would make a good duck hunting dog and he'd reluctantly caved on that one, too. The dog was terrified of the sound of guns and hadn't been hunting a day in its life.

He gave in to whatever she wanted nine times out of ten. She knew that. If something made her or Sophia happy he was going to do his damn best to make sure they had it. But he was right, this was a big deal and if it wasn't something he wanted right now she wasn't going to pressure him into it. "I'm fine with thinking about it. Like I said, this is something we have to decide together. My Implanon runs out in a few weeks and I'll just go ahead and get another one put in. I can have it taken out if we change our minds. It's okay."

He tugged at his bottom lip. Pondering what she'd just said. Those things lasted for three years. He didn't wanna change his mind six months from now and make them have to dig it out of her arm. "It ain't that I don't want another baby." He mumbled, quietly. "I do. I just…I guess I just don't want Sophia to feel like we're trying to replace her. Like having just her wasn't good enough."

She was amazed at the person Daryl had grown to be. About the hang ups he'd overcome. But sometimes she knew there were still lingering emotional scars his father left. And she felt like this might be one of them. Because he knew that despite how shitty Will Dixon was to both children, Daryl always felt like he cared more about Merle than him. He'd treated him worse than he had Merle. "Hey, she's not gonna feel that way. She knows how much we love her."

"Yeah, but."

"No, no buts on that one. I'm telling you, Daryl. That girl is never going to feel like we don't love her. You're a good father, she couldn't ask for anyone better." She reached down and rubbed her foot against his. "Any man who lets his daughter paint his toenails pink and call him princess daddy. Trust me, his daughter is never going to feel unloved."

He blushed at the mention of his still pink toenails. Sophia had made him promise not to take the paint off and he'd kept his word. "You better not tell no one about that shit."

"Your secret is safe with me, pookie." She grinned.

He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. She was wearing him down on this. And fast. And she was a damn good mama. He'd never seen someone take to that role so naturally. She was so loving to Sophia. So nurturing. She deserved more children. "If you think we can do this, I'm okay with it."

"Yeah?"

He nodded. "Yeah, but I just got one condition."

"What's that?"

"I ain't having sex on no damn schedule like Rick and Lori did when they were trying to get pregnant with Judith. I'm fine with you getting off birth control and us not using condoms, but I don't wanna have to start going at it at a certain time and in a certain position on a certain day."

"I don't either. That's too much pressure and it takes the fun out of it. Besides, we have a three year old. We can't just have sex at any given moment. This will happen when it happens. We're just kinda preparing for it ahead of time and knowing it's coming at some point."

He hummed. Thinking about how five years ago he never would have thought he wanted one child, let alone that he'd be planning for his second one. "Thank you." He replied, leaning up to kiss her again.

"For what?" She replied curiously.

"For giving me Sophia. For loving me the way you do. For not letting me be my own worst enemy. For every damn thing."

 **(One more chapter. Then it's done. Thanks for reading and reviewing. I realize this could be the end, but there's just one more thing I wanna touch on.)**


	75. Chapter 75

**This is it. The final chapter. I hope y'all enjoyed the story. It was long and truth be told it probably could have been broken into two different stories. I hope it ended up meshing okay when I added the Carol pregnancy twist. I really did enjoy writing this.**

Carol and Daryl would be married five years this coming fall. Sophia would be turning five over the summer and she was nearing the end of her first year of kindergarten next month. Her July birthday had her starting school early and it meant she'd graduate when she was seventeen.

They'd contemplated holding her back until the next year since most of the other kids in her class were already five by the time school started. They'd decided to let her go ahead and try since she'd done so well in pre-school. And of course, she'd done great. She was at the top of her class and she loved school. Her intelligence and aptitude for school were just one of many things she'd gotten from her mother.

She was a healthy, happy, affectionate child. Bright and bubbly. Always thinking about other people. She made both of her parents proud. Not to mentioned she was an amazing big sister to her baby brother.

After Carol and Daryl decided to try for another baby and not to have another Implanon put in she'd become pregnant four months later. Their son had been born in the fall only a few weeks shy of their four year wedding anniversary. They'd named him Hunter Reid Dixon. Her pregnancy with Hunter had been vastly different from the one with Sophia. By the time she was four weeks she was already hugging the toilet and she spent most of the pregnancy with morning sickness. She suffered from Braxton hicks and high blood pressure and even got put on bed rest the last two weeks of her pregnancy.

It was hard enough being on bed rest with one child that constantly wanted her attention. She couldn't imagine going through that with two. They decided that their family was complete with a son and a daughter and she'd had her tubes tied after Hunter was born. The doctor told her that it was reversible if they changed their minds later in life. But for now they were satisfied with just two, and neither of them ever really saw that changing.

Hunter was blond headed and blue eyed, much like his sister. But where Sophia favored her mother entirely, Hunter was a good mix of both of them. He had father's squinty eyes, his mother's smile, and his blond hair was wavy. It was hard to tell since he was only six months old, but Carol seemed positive he was going to get his father's complexion.

Unlike Merle and Andrea's son, he was a rather content child. More on the quieter side. For now anyway. He often wore the same brooding look Daryl had plastered on his face most days. But it wasn't hard to get the baby boy to crack an infectious smile if you knew what to do to make him happy.

Carol loved watching her kids together. It was part of the reason she had wanted to have another child. She loved how close Daryl and Merle were and she often felt lonely being an only child growing up. She'd wanted Sophia to have bond like that with a sibling.

And Sophia was very bonded to her little brother. Despite Daryl's worry that she'd be jealous, she'd taken right to the baby. Constantly wanting to help feed and change him and even referring to him as her baby.

And of course, both kids had their cousin to bond with, too. Xander was fourteen months older than Hunter. Sometimes Daryl worried a little that the boys would get into trouble together when they were older. The kid had a mix of Merle and Andrea's hot headed streak and attitude. The kid was 24 pounds of dynamite waiting to explode. A very lovable bundle of dynamite, but still explosive none the less.

Merle and Andrea had gotten married this past spring. But they weren't adding anymore kids into the mix any time soon. Between their niece, nephew, and their son, they said they were set.

The Grimes clan still consisted of only two kids. Carl and Judith. Lori decided after having two kids back to back she was done. Rick's deputy sheriff schedule and her café hours left little time for much else.

The Rhee's had another boy baby boy on the way. He was due this summer.

Morgan and Michonne didn't work out in the end. He hadn't wanted more children and she'd wanted a child of her own. In one of the strangest twists that no one saw coming, she and Shane had ended up together. She'd talked to Andrea about it first and made sure she had her blessing. Andrea was happy with Merle and had been very supportive of seeing her former love interest and her best friend being happy together.

Carol's parents had more or less moved back home to be near both of their grandkids. They'd gotten a small house, but still kept the RV. They'd scurry out in the road now and again for a few weeks, but they'd always end up back at home for a few months before their next outing.

Daryl and Merle still had the shop. And business was going better than ever. They'd had to hire a few other guys just to be able to serve the number of customer's they had coming in. They'd even officially hired someone to run all of their tows.

Overall, life was good for everyone in their little group. They were all happy. And even though they didn't see each other much between working and raising kids, they still loved each other very much and would always be there for one another. That was one of those things that would never change.

()()()

Carol rolled over in bed and rested her head on her husband's chest. She draped an arm over his waist and as she felt him pull her in tighter she felt herself begin to smile. She leaned up and placed a quick kiss on his cheek. "Happy birthday. I love you."

He yawned as he forced his eyes open. "Love you, too. Damn I'm getting old."

"30. It's all down here from here old man."

"You're right behind me woman."'

"Yeah, but I'm still young and in my twenties for now. I should probably trade you in for a new model while I can."

He playfully pinched her side. "Go on then. Just leave my kids with me." He poked his lip out as he rolled onto his side.

She wrapped her arms around him from behind and kissed his shoulder blade. "Our kids. I carried them for nine months."

"Whatever." He mumbled, still acting wounded.

She kissed her way from the tattoo on his shoulder blade up to the side of his neck and she could tell he was fighting with himself not to react to the touch of her lips on his skin. "Stop. You know I'd never leave you. You couldn't get rid of me if you tried."

He rolled over in one swift motion, flipping himself on top of her. His long hair tickling her face as he hovered over her and stared into her eyes. "What about when I'm forty and your still in your thirties for a few months?"

She shook her head and grinned at him, running her hands up and down his well-defined arms. "You'll be the sexiest forty year old around. Besides, I should be the one worried. I've been finding a few gray hairs lately and I haven't even turned thirty yet. You might trade me in."

"Nah, never. Gray hair and all, you'll still be the most beautiful girl in the world to me." He leaned in and pressed a quick kiss on her lips, one she quickly pulled him closer for and deepened."

"That's gross." Sophia groaned as she welcomed herself into their bedroom with her baby brother in her arms. She hobbled over to their King sized bed and stood next to Daryl. "Hunter and I wanted to tell you happy birthday, daddy."

Part of him wanted to scold the child for carrying her brother in here when she knew she wasn't supposed to pick him up by herself anyway, but Carol shot him a look and he didn't. He knew she was just trying to be sweet. Instead, he reached out and took the baby from her arms and then pulled her in bed with them. Hugging both of his kids and placing a kiss on their foreheads. "Thank you."

"That was very thoughtful, Sophia. I'm sure daddy's very happy you remembered to wish him happy birthday."

"Is that why you were being yucky and kissing him? Because it's his birthday?"

Carol chuckled at that. "Part of it, yes. And part of it's because I love your daddy very much and I happen to think he's pretty cute."

She stuck her tongue out and made a disgusted face. "I'm never doing that. It's gross."

"Good." Daryl replied firmly. "I'm gonna hold you to that when you're sixteen."

Carol scooted in closer to Daryl and snuggled under his arm. Enjoying the feeling of the four of them all cuddled in bed together. Their cat was lying at the foot of the bed and the dog was curled up in the corner of their room on a miniature bed Daryl had made for it. She thought about how good their life was. How they had two beautiful kids, a nice home, everything they needed and more. She felt blessed with the life she'd been given, and maybe her road to get here had been filled with twists and turns, maybe their story hadn't been perfect, but she wouldn't change a thing knowing the end result. They were scared kids once. Kids who had to go off and live their own lives and become who they were meant to be in order to be ready to fully commit to each other. But in the end, they'd found their way and ended up together. And they'd never forgotten each other. Never stopped thinking about each other. Never stopped loving each other.

As Daryl laid in bed on his thirtieth birthday with his wife and two children in his arms he couldn't help but think about his own father for a moment. He thought about how the man had never seen any of his grandkids. He hadn't seen his children in five years. He couldn't imagine going five months without seeing his own children. But then again, he couldn't imagine ever hurting them the way his own father had hurt him.

He used to make excuses for the man. He used to think that maybe his life would have been different growing up if his mother hadn't of died. But being a father himself had changed that philosophy. His only instinct was to protect his children, to protect his wife. He'd give anything in the world to know the three of them were happy and safe. Carol had been right all those years ago, his father had always been that man. He'd always had the side hidden underneath him, waiting to bubble to the surface.

Once upon a time Daryl used to fear that same hateful nature was hidden somewhere deep within him. That whether genetic, or learned, he'd one day become that man his father had been. But that fear subsided a long time ago. He wasn't that man. He never would be. That had never been more clear to him than it was that first night in the hospital when Sophia was born and he laid in the bed with Carol and held the baby girl in his arms for the first time. He'd seen

And as he watched Carol take their son out of his arms and throw him over her head to elicit a contagious smile that mirrored her own. As he felt Sophia lean her head on his chest and curl her small arms around his neck. He couldn't help but be thankful. Not only for what he had but for all he'd been through. All they'd been through. After all, the good and the bad, it all led him to where they were now.

He wished he could freeze this moment in time. That things would always be this easy. That the four of them would always be this content and happy. But life wasn't that easy and he knew that they'd face many obstacles over the coming years raising two kids, trying to juggle work, trying to make time just for the two of them. But that was okay, because he knew that they loved each other and they'd make it through whatever was thrown their way, just like they'd been doing. They loved each other and they always would. They were stronger together than they were apart. They brought out the best in one another. They always had. Some Things Never Change.

 **FYI: I know I had them have a son and he had the same name in my other finished story, but that's my head canon son for them and I kinda like the name.**

 **THE END!**


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